Deafening Silence
by The Dreamer Eternal
Summary: Loki has spent centuries being confined for his crimes. Being immortal means that he can live forever, but does he want to? When Thor and Frigga find out about his condition, they make a plan. When Loki is set free, how will he face himself, old friends, and a powerful enemy who lurks in the shadows of his mind? R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Deafening Silence**

**By: The Dreamer Eternal**

**Loki has spent years being confined. When he is finally released, only a year has passed, while it has been centuries in his mind. He has to join the Avengers with his brother Thor. Loki comes to term with himself and faces his demons. Sorry for the bad summary, but R&R!**

Chapter 1: Internment

"Loki Odinson!" The voice boomed in the hall.

"I believe it's _Laufeyson_." I hissed through my teeth from my kneeling position on the floor.

"You have been convicted of many crimes against Asgard as well as Midgard. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"

My father had no compassion in his eyes as he said this. My brother and mother standing to his right. They looked at me with grief in their eyes.

I half rose to his feet, acting as repentant as I could. "I believe I do, Allfather."

"Speak." Odin said shortly.

I hid a smirk when I heard this. "I would apologize to all of Asgard and Midgard for my actions. I have deeply wronged both and would like to atone for my deeds. I knew not what I was doing. I was so consumed in hate and rage that I could not see the people that loved me. For this, I am truly sorry."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Thor light up at this. The rest of the hall shifted uneasily. Most of Asgard had come to the Great Hall to see my trial. Hundreds of people crowded the hall, and all of them greatly disliked me.

"Regardless of this new development, your punishment still stands. You will be sentenced to solitary confinement for the rest of your life in the dungeons. On the condition that I find you to truly repent and purge this poison from you, you will be released." My father said to me.

Mother cried out and sank to her knees. Thor caught her in his arms and stared at me sorrowfully. Father said and did nothing as the guards holding my arms pulled me away and the enchanted chains around my wrists tightened. I watched the people in the hall coolly as I was dragged away. The handcuffs kept me from doing any magic so I was helpless. The guards pressed around me on all sides, hurrying me forward. They pushed past the crowd of Asgardians, and headed for the prison. I almost wanted to laugh at their foolishness, their stupidity, their naïveté. The guards and I descended down the stairs, passing checkpoints along the way. The air stank of mold, unwashed bodies, dirt, and vomit. I wrinkled my nose in disdain. The guards led me to a door, much too thin and flimsy for them to actually think would hold me.

"Is this a jest?" I laughed as they drew closer to the pitiful door.

The guards didn't respond, just marched forward with grim expressions. I looked closer at the door. It had no distinguishing characteristics at all, besides being unnaturally smooth. They opened the door and shoved me in, the handcuffs still around my wrists. I stumbled over the entryway, but gathered myself, sending a glare towards the closed door. I examined my surroundings.

A small cot shadowed the far corner, but nothing else decorated the cell. The lighting was a few shades below a comfortable dusk. It bothered me enough to set me on edge. Testing the walls, there were no openings, save for the door. Turning back to the door, I noticed that there was no slot for food to be pushed in. Having nothing else to do, I sat on the bed. Springs creaked annoyingly, and jabbed my backside uncomfortably. With all my powers stripped away, I was as weak and helpless as a mortal. I changed my position to walk to the door. I banged it loudly.

"I request to be given nourishment immediately." I shouted through the door.

No one answered me. I growled and raked a hand through my hair, or as much as I could do with the handcuffs. I tried to connect to my magic, but a damper settled on that ability. I could feel it though, a deep pool that I could see but not touch. I stalked back to my bed and sat down again. I glared at the wall as if it was personally responsible for my punishment. The corner of my mouth curled slightly as I imagined that the wall burned slightly under my glare. But the smile slipped away as I let my head fall back onto the wall. I was going to be very bored here.

**Short chapter. The other ones will be longer. So, whatdyja think? Okay, so far? I wanted to write something from Loki's point of view. If you think it's too girly, then too bad. I'm a girl and have no idea how a Loki, or even boys in general, think. So can it.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Regrets

During the few months of my imprisonment, I said and did nothing. I sat on the bed and had mental conversations with myself, planning mischievous pranks. After the first decade, I pulled off my green and gold tunic to the white undershirt below, in addition to my shoes. I sat, and paced, but mostly sat. Then, after a century, I yelled, screamed, at the unresponsive guards. I still had not been given any food, but when I didn't die, and just the hunger remained, I deduced that there was a spell upon the cell that prevented me from dying of starvation. Less fortunately, there was no way to keep track of the days then, as I could not perceive the gaps between mealtimes. I had tried to count the seconds by counting my breaths, but I lost count at two million, seven hundred eighty-three thousand, nine hundred and eleven when I fell asleep.

Hunger became my constant companion, as did Anger, Hate, Pain, and Vengeance. I no longer paced, instead choosing to curl up into a corner, or lie on my bed. I began to have nightmares, so many nightmares. Every time I closed my eyes. I could see the faces of those I had killed. Asgardian and Midgardian alike. Their haunted faces and screams haunted my sleep as well as waking hours. Eventually they were painted on my eyelids. Their faces formed before me, in the dusk and shadows of the room. A face also haunted me, wrinkled, ancient, malevolent, powerful. I could not tell what it had done to me, it was only memories of something else, that try as I might, I could not seem to remember.

Eventually, after a millennia, I turned the pages of my memory and walked among the relics of a happier time. I saw two boys, one golden and strong, one raven-haired and wan. I saw their happiness, and felt the love of the family again. I felt the love of the younger shift, turn sour. Gone was the happiness, instead replaced with ambition, greed, and hate. I saw the man the boy grew into be cold, ruthless. I watched mutely from the shadows as he betrayed everyone who ever cared for him with a smirk on his face and a mad glint in his eye. I saw him do unspeakable things with insane glee. I saw him, reduced to a shell, a husk, and thrown away with the chamber pot. I relieved all of my actions and emotions throughout my descent into madness.

I had grown up happy with my place in the world, but grew hard when I saw that everyone, even my father, favored Thor over me. I delved into magic and did nothing but study, expanding my mind to impress Father, to show that I was worthy of his love also. I grew isolated from my people, family, and friends, presenting a mask to hide my true feelings, preferring to desperately gather knowledge in a bid to win the throne, to show Father that I was strong and good enough.

When Thor had been promised the throne, I had been shocked, betrayed, angry, and hurt by this betrayal. My father had raised me to be a king. I had spent my entire life waiting for this, only to have it snatched from me at the last second. My brother, the one who partied, laid with so many maidens even he had lost count, the arrogant oaf, was to be king. When my father had told me I was adopted, and the son of his greatest enemy no less, I didn't know what to think. But at the same time, I did.

I felt betrayed, furious. I had grown up with him whispering in my ear that I was born to be a king, and now he said that I was of no matter or use to him. I understood it then, in a mad flash of clarity. He could never have given the throne to me, and why he always favored Thor all those years. My life was a lie. I hatched a plot then. More than mere mischief, this was evil. I shoved away all twinges of doubt and went onward with my plan.

After Thor had destroyed the Bifrost and I was dangling from the staff I had always wanted, I tried to tell my father why I had done it. He rejected me. I felt so much grief, like a yawning chasm in my chest. I had nothing more to live for. I let go and fell into the void, my grief overwhelming my every thought. I was glad in a way, to die. Vindictively imagining my family mourning me, in pain. But in barely a fraction of the pain I had been in for all these years.

For the first time since I entered the cell, a tear slipped down my cheek. I raged inward silently, berating myself for my foolishness, pride, and vanity. I had thrown away everything good in my life, and now just emptiness remained. For that was what I was, an empty hole. I had tried to fill it with revenge, but it just grew larger. My grief was an ocean, stretching out before me. I was so sorry. For everything. For all of the families that I had torn apart, for all of the lives I devastated, for the sorrow and worry my family felt for me. I wasn't worthy of their love. I was worthy of this cell though. And here I would remain for eternity, without a chance of redemption and to never see my mother again, never touch her cheek, never apologize to Thor.

The storm of emotions in me raged on, and I felt something crack. The void I felt in me, broke apart, and unfamiliar emotions rose up. They were shame, hope, and regret. I sobbed from their force, and sobbed again at myself. I was pathetic, lying here and sobbing pitifully. I was a prince of Asgard. I should be acting better than this. But, I reminded myself, you're not even that.

When I saw the faces of my victims, I cried out to them, that I was sorry. They paid me no attention, and howled away. A voice in my head, sounding disturbingly like mine, spat insults at me. I eroded under the pressure of the voice, the faces, the hunger, the lack of time, the smells, my unwashed body, the feelings. I called out to Thor, Mother, Father, Heimdall, Sif, the Avengers, the guards, begging them to help me.

I was alone. Utterly alone. Just me and my storm, for millennia. Crying out in a void where no one could hear me. Drowning alone. I couldn't assuage my guilt, with no chance for retribution, and no one to talk to. Swirling, falling, trying to claw my way back up, I descended so far into my mind that I lost all perception of my surroundings.

**Poor Loki! I feel so sorry for him, even though I wrote it. How's he going to survive?**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Family Ties

_Thor P.O.V (Sort of)_

_Meanwhile, elsewhere ... _

Thor strode down the hall, ignoring his mother pleading with him.

"Please, Thor. You must!" Frigga pulled on Thor's sleeve.

He sighed. "Mother, I cannot. The Allfather has expressly forbidden anyone to visit him. If I go to him, I will be committing treason."

She didn't give up. "I can feel him. He's in pain and slipping. Only you can help him, with your love. He needs you."

Thor ignored the twinge of guilt in his chest. "He tried to kill millions of people. He is a criminal."

Frigga pulled on Thor's shoulder until he turned to face her. "Who was your confident for all of your secrets and fears? Who was there for you, taking you home from the tavern? Who turned a blind eye to your conquests? Who stood in the shadows while you took what was promised to him? I can feel that something is wrong. I fear he might be dying. He needs comfort and love. You owe him at least a visit to see if he has changed."

"How do you know this, Mother?" Thor asked, giving in to her.

"Call it a mother's intuition." She half-smiled as her son purposefully walked toward the dungeons.

Thor walked to the prison, dreading what he was going to find. He didn't know if Loki would be changed or not. After all, it had only been a year that Loki had been imprisoned, and Loki hadn't seemed like he was going to change anytime soon. He walked through the front door, guards nodding to him as he passed. He nodded back, feigning an air of authority and confidence. Thor wasn't accosted as he descended the stairs to the door leading to Loki's cell. He walked forward and knocked hesitantly. When no one answered, he pushed the door open.

He saw Loki, bags under his eyes, waxy skin, unwashed, stinking, unhealthy-looking, and rushed forward. He put his hand on Loki's forehead, and winced. He was burning up.

"Brother." He murmured, brushing Loki's hair out of his forehead.

Loki was motionless, unmoving except for the faint rise and fall of his chest. His breathing was raspy, wheezing. Thor gathered Loki in his arms quickly and rushed out of the cell, noticing the bloody chafing and welts on his wrists from the handcuffs, concerned for his brother's safety. As Thor pounded up the stairs, Loki stirred.

"Brother." He breathed, green eyes opening, but not focusing on anything.

"Yes, Loki. I'm here. I'm bringing you to the healing rooms. You're very sick. Don't talk." Thor panted while running to his mother.

"You came. After all these years. You finally came. There's been something I've been meaning to tell you ..." Loki coughed, a rattle in his lungs.

Thor only half-listened. "You can tell me later. But right now, you need to stay with me."

"Always ... Brother." Even with Thor shaking him, Loki's eyes closed.

Thor burst into his mother's chambers. Frigga rose from her seat, eyes wide, and hurried over.

Even though pale, tense, and worried, she directed Thor to put Loki on the bed. He did so, and Frigga rushed forward, laying a hand on Loki's forehead. She whispered words in a different language. Thor felt a prickle on his neck, and shivered from wariness. He felt a rush of something pass from mother to son.

"He's very weak from dehydration and malnutrition. I can sense a spell on him, but it seems to be broken now. But most of his sickness is not in his body. He is battling himself." Frigga turned to Thor, looking older and exhausted.

"Can you heal him?" Thor asked his mother anxiously.

"No. Only he can do that. But he needs to escape Asgard. The guards will notice his absence soon and will start looking. The Allfather will look here soon. He needs to go to Midgard." She said shortly.

"Midgard? Why there? He hates that realm." Thor asked, stunned.

"I can sense that his trouble is bound to there somehow. But enough talking. We need to transport you both now." Frigga said hurriedly.

Thor carried Loki, and the three of them made their way past the guards, hiding behind doors and in shadows.

"Mother, are you sure?" Thor asked when he saw their destination.

"He can be trusted. Stay here." She said.

She strode forward to the man standing with his back to them. "Greetings, Heimdall."

"My queen." The watcher responded.

"I require your services." Frigga said regally.

"You would have me betray my oath, commit treason, dishonor my position, all to help someone who cannot be trusted." He said flatly, without turning around.

"He can be trusted. I have felt good in him. He has changed. I do not know why or how, but he deserves a chance to rectify his mistake." She pleaded.

"I can see everything in this realm, but I could not see Loki in his cell. He was shielded from my gaze. I wish to know why. Few are able to divert me, and your son is one of them and he did not do this to himself. Very well. I will submit to your demand." The Gatekeeper mused.

"Thank you, Great Heimdall. I am ever in your favor." Thor spoke up gratefully.

Heimdall turned to gaze at Thor, and Thor was struck by the wisdom in those eyes. It was as if the stars themselves had fallen to those orbs and remained there, sparkling with the secret of life. There was great sagacity, infinite compassion, great nobility, and a hint of kindness.

"Go now. Before the King find out about this treason." Heimdall urged them.

"Go, Thor. Save him." Frigga added.

"What about you, Mother? What will Father do to you?" Thor asked.

"I will be fine as long as you two remain safe. Tell him I love him. Goodbye, son." Frigga said softly, determination filling her voice and stance as she turned to leave.

"Goodbye, Mother." Thor whispered, a tear trickling down.

The Bifrost hummed to life around them, and Thor and Loki's atoms dissolved and were transported to Midgard. They coalesced, Loki still in Thor's arms, inside a Midgardian building. The room was shady, the lights almost completely off.

"Brother?" Loki coughed awake, still not focused on anything.

"We're safe. Mother sends her regards." Thor said.

Loki chuckled painfully. "What kind of regards are those, pray tell?"

"Love." Thor said simply.

"Help me stand up. I'm feeling more lucid after having my atoms scrambled." Loki said.

"I wouldn't advise this, Brother." Thor warned.

"Shut up and help me up." Loki grumbled.

Thor set Loki down gently, just as a familiar group of people burst into the room and the lights flickered on.

"Oh, damn." Loki breathed.

**Yaaaaayyyyyy! Loki's free! And being attacked! By who? What's Odin going to do? Running in circles for no reason at all!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Trust and Beginnings

_Loki P.O.V_

"Oh, damn." I breathed, recognizing the figures.

I knew I was right when an arrow whizzed through the air and lodged itself in my shoulder. I wheezed and slumped to the side, Thor catching me.

"Peace, hold your fire. My brother means no harm." Thor shouted, moving in front of me after setting me on a circular sofa.

I vaguely recognized the room, and narrowed my eyes, trying to focus on the figures in front of me. The shaped blurred even more and I waved a hand in front of my face, only able to see a few feet in front of me.

"What the _hell _is _he _doing here." Someone hissed.

I couldn't see far enough to make out who. "That is an excellent question."

I tried to retain my dignity, so when someone stormed up and poked an arrow in my chin, I surprised myself by not reacting.

"Why is he here, Thor?" Someone else asked.

The second person seemed more level-headed that the first and I vaguely thought that I liked them better than the person holding an arrow to my throat. I realized that blood loss was making me giddy when I stared cross-eyed at the arrow at my throat.

"I am sorry, Captain, for bringing him here, but he is sick and injured and needs help. There was nowhere else to go." Thor apologized.

"That's not true. We could have gone to Jotunheim. We would have gotten a warmer welcome there." I added jokily, all inhibitions gone.

"Shut up!" The person holding an arrow to my throat snarled.

I held up my manacled hands in surrender. "Relax. It's not like I can do anything."

"Why is he here?" The Captain asked again.

"You could just ask 'him' yourself." I slurred.

"Alright then. Why are you here?" The Captain turned to me.

"I was imprisoned in my cell for over a millennia. If I was a lesser being, I would have broken long ago. I think I am diseased from being separated from my magic for so long. I haven't eaten or drunk anything for all of that time, haven't gone to the bathroom in the same amount of time, and haven't been able to sleep for ages. And the arrow in my shoulder can't be helping much, either. Thor rescued my upon seeing my condition, and I assume that Mother and Heimdall teleported us here. " I said calmly.

"Fine. Banner, go see what's up with him." A short, curly-haired man came forward to examine my injuries.

I clenched my fists and tried to get myself to relax enough for him to come closer. It was extremely difficult, as the last time I had seen him, he smashed me into the floor. Repeatedly.

"He's clean. The handcuffs are doing their jobs by nullifying his magic." Another voice cut in.

"Yes. Thank you, Stark. I hadn't noticed." I said sarcastically.

"He needs immediate medical attention. If he was human, he'd be dead several times over." The doctor said quickly.

"All right. Bring him to the medical wing." The Captain said.

Thor came over and helped me to stand, almost shoving aside Agent Barton as he did so. The Agent pulled out his arrow in my shoulder viciously, causing me to hiss in pain. Thor helped me to walk, and I shoved my pride away and leaned heavily on him, grateful for the support in several different ways.

"In here." Banner called over his shoulder.

The rest of the Avengers filed in after us. Banner motioned to a table, and Thor lifted me onto it. I laid down and closed my eyes, trying to breathe through the pain.

"Can you get the manacles off?" I heard Banner ask.

"Obviously not. Otherwise I would not be here." I answered lightly.

"Not you. Blond guy with mallet." He responded.

I smiled a little at that before Thor cleared his throat. "I do not know. They were forged by the Allfather. He is the only one who can remove them."

"Well that makes my job harder. Can you lift your arms above your head? That's you, Big Bad." Banner mumbled.

I tried to lift my hands over my head, but had to stop halfway up as a searing pain lanced through my shoulders. Hissing and swearing Asgardian insults under my breath, my arms trembled as I tried to maintain the position, but my arms collapsed with a groan.

"Language, Brother." Thor rumbled.

"Can you sit up again? I want to take a look at your vitals." Banner asked.

He attached wires to me, and I had to fight my urges to not tear them off. I opened my eyes to see both Agents, the Captain, and Stark standing by the other wall uncomfortably. Agent Barton was glaring daggers at me. Agent Romanoff looked as impassive as always. The Captain looked pissed off and worried. Stark just looked bored. I sent them all a smirk that turned into a wince when Banner poked me just a little too hard in my ribs.

"He's got severe internal bleeding, all of his organs are damaged, and he's got three broken ribs, a broken finger, a fractured tibia, and bruises everywhere. It's a miracle that hat he's this awake." Banner told the others.

"Can you heal him?" Thor strode forward.

"I'm not sure. The sheer amount of damage isn't survivable by human standards, the amount of blood is enough to knock out three men, and his immune system seems to be attacking itself. At this point, a common cold could knock him over the edge." Banner listed out my injuries.

"Only three. I'm getting soft." I murmured to myself.

"Is there anything you can do?" The Captain asked.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were worried about me, Captain." I smirked.

"Don't get your panties in a twist. Is there?" The Captain snorted.

"I don't know. I could give him antibiotics, painkillers, wrap up his breaks, but I just don't know. I've never seen this type of illness before." Banner said, knitting his eyebrows together.

"If only I had my magic." I mused.

"Why?" Banner asked me.

"Well then I could heal myself and get off this realm. I have no wish to be here, or be in physical and mental pain much longer." I said.

"We don't want you here either. So why don't you take your manacles and shove them so far up your -." Agent Barton started to say.

"Watch your tongue. Loki may be a criminal, but he is my brother and he is sick and injured. If you refuse us, then I no longer believe that the belief this organization was founded on is still intact." Thor came to my defense admirably.

"Thor. Calm down. We'll help him. But we need a deal." The Captain pacified my angry brother.

"What kind of deal. Is it a pinky promise?" I grinned, teasing him lightly.

"We help you, you don't hurt anyone. You stay in a jail cell until you die, but you have outside contact." The Captain proposed.

"Hmm. I agree to the first condition, but I counter-propose. I could work for your team instead of captivity. Think of it like your Midgardian community service." I smiled at him.

"No way. Why should we trust you? I mean you're an insane psychopath who tried to take over the world and enslave everyone on it." Stark shot at me.

"I spent a millennia in a dark jail cell with only myself for company. At first, I was angry, so full of rage and betrayal that all I thought about was exacting my revenge on every single one of you. I starved and raged in silence. Until I had the nightmares. Nightmares of the people I had wronged, murdered, destroyed. I saw their faces behind my eyelids and in the shadows and heard their screams every second of every day. I went through all of my memories and saw my mistakes. I saw the monster I had become, and I saw why I had done everything. I was petty and seeking an outlet for my inner agony. I felt true regret and knew that I could do nothing to redeem myself, that I would never see the ones I loved to apologize and make things right. But I held on because I felt _hope_. Hope that I would see my family again, that I could set things right. I saw that I had been so unbelievably stupid and that Thor had been right all along. It destroyed me. I called out for Thor, for anyone, to help me. I heard voices, of my victims as well as my own, berating me, belittling me. The worst part was that I believed them. I believed that I should be in that cell wasting away, that I should be dead, that I was never worthy of my family's love. I was alone with no one but myself, and I didn't even know who I was. I fell, screaming, to the depths of my mind to escape from the torment I was in. I have been broken, so many times, and yet still live, even though the splinters in my heart, soul, and mind still make me bleed. Don't talk to me about trust. All I have left is my mind and my word, and one of those I am unsure about. So if I swear to you, you can be sure that I will not renege on my promise." I spat, wiping away the tears that fell as I spoke, my voice trembling from the strength of my emotions.

I inhaled shakily, willing myself to stop crying. I hated showing weakness, and now, in front of my former enemies, I rebelled against myself. No one spoke in the room for a while.

"I am truly sorry, Brother." Thor said quietly, approaching to a few feet away.

"Don't be. It's not your fault. I'm the one who wanted revenge for some misguided and demented reason." I said back, ignoring my runny nose.

"I should have visited you. But, you do know Brother, that you were in that cell for only a year?" He said.

I froze. "What?"

"Yes. Only a year." Thor added.

"That can't be. I remember counting two million, seven hundred eighty-three thousand, nine hundred and eleven breaths. I remember screaming until I lost my voice, over and over again. I remember falling asleep, only to wake minutes later clawing at my eyes and throat. I remember every second of that millennia, and there is no possible way you will convince me that it was only a year. I am older. I have aged. I can feel the stress on my joints and ligaments." I shook my head.

"How can this be?" Thor asked.

"My guess? The spell that I had on me to prevent death by starvation also sped time up so that a millennia could fit into a year for me." I laughed shakily.

"This is all very well and good, but how do we know that we can trust you?" Stark asked, annoying me once again.

I could see why I had thrown him out a window. "If you don't believe a single word out of that pretty little speech I just made, then you can't."

"All right. Loki, it you don't hurt anyone, and you prove your loyalty, then you can stay here, without a cell, and work with us." The Captain said reluctantly.

"What?" Shouts of surprise rang out, ranging from the anger-filled ones of Agent Barton, to the relief-filled of Thor.

"Deal. Thank you, Captain." I extended my hand for him to shake.

I saw him shiver slightly when he touched my icy flesh. "Now get some rest. You look like death."

"Not likely. I've met him. I look nothing like him. He's much taller, purple, malevolent, a masochist, a sadist." I rambled.

"Maybe not. But you need your beauty rest to be your normal full-tilt diva self tomorrow, Reindeer Games." I gritted my teeth at the remark, but said nothing.

"I agree, Brother. It would be wise to gather your energy. I will see if I can contact Mother and see if there is any way to break your chains." Thor and the others left the room, except for the doctor.

I received many glares from the departing crowd. Banner still worked quietly to my left.

"I know how it feels, you know." He said quietly.

"How what feels?" I asked flatly, in pain too much to do anything but close my eyes and lean my head back on the wall.

"To be alone, wishing for death. To be so full of rage that you destroy everything around you. To be destroyed and rebuilt. To think so little of yourself that you think you deserve the punishment you're in. To be razed to the ground, yet still exist. Hurts like a mother, doesn't it." He didn't look at me, just kept working quietly.

"Thank you, Doctor." I said. "Not just for the bandages."

"Some bandages aren't only used for flesh wounds, just as bodily harm isn't the only type of damage." He said. "Do you think that you could move to a hospital bed?" He asked.

"Not without a big, blond oaf to help me." I chuckled dryly.

"Well, I'm not a 'big, blond oaf' but I'm an enormous green rage monster." He offered.

"That'll do." He helped me down the hallway and into the medical ward.

He helped me get into the bed, and turned to go, but I caught his sleeve with a weak hand.

"Why are you being so kind to me Doctor?" I asked him, staring in his eyes.

"I'm not sure. Maybe it's because you're my patient. Maybe because everyone deserves a second chance, even you. Or maybe it's because you remind me of how I was." He met my eyes steadily. "Stay still. I'm going to give you something to make you sleep."

I nodded and released him. "Thank you, once again, Doctor."

"Call me Bruce or Banner. Doctor just seems so ... formal."

I smiled. "Very well. Goodnight Banner."

"'Night, Lie-Smith." He walked out of the door before I could recover from my shock.

My eyes widened, and I laughed incredulously to myself. I was surrounded by a blanket of calm. My eyes closed and I fell into a dreamless sleep, the first one in a very, _very _long time.

**What a long chapter. I'm exhausted. Just so you know, there is no romance between Loki and any other character. I know, I know. It's just not that kind of fanfic. I just keep feeling bad for Loki. I'm not sure I like this chapter. I think I'm making Loki too soft. **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Night Terrors

_Steve P.O.V (Sort of)_

Steve retreated with the others, not quite knowing what to do or say. Thor left to go make lightning, or whatever he did when he's worried. He leaned against the kitchen counter, staring straight ahead with his arms crossed over his chest. His worst enemy was sitting in the room over, and he had just made a deal with him. Steve didn't know whether to laugh or to grimace. He rubbed his face, weary from the whole situation.

"I don't care that he's hurt. I don't care that he's sorry. He could be lying to us all. I don't like it. I think he's playing us all. He's a great liar and manipulator, or are you forgetting that he brainwashed me and enslaved me to his will. God. I can still feel his voice in my head." Barton apparently knew what to say, judging from the shouts from the living room.

"No one's forgotten what Loki did. If Thor and Cap are willing to give him a chance, that's their problem. We can still be suspicious, but if you want to ignore direct orders, you can. I'll keep it to myself." Natasha tried to calm him down.

"I'm going to shoot him again. This time I'll get that arrow in the eye that I've always wanted." Clint shouted.

"That's enough." Steve shouted, coming into the living room. "Did you hear him in there at all? Did you see the way he acted when he told us about what happened to him? He _cried _and apologized."

"It's just a sob story. Thor said he'd only been in there for a year. That's not enough time to change a person." Clint spat.

"A year's a long time. Especially in captivity." Stark said quietly.

"Can you imagine being in a dark room for years of your life, your only company all of the horrible things you've done in your life? Having it snarl at you every second of every day? Wishing it would all just go away? Being in so much pain that your cells are razed and yet whole? I can't and it seems like if that's what Loki went through, he's doing pretty freaking great." Banner returned from the sick bay.

Clint couldn't think of a response and stood there, face red, breathing heavily. "Fine. But remember this when he betrays us. It'll be all your fault. The bloodshed will be on your head. I'll have a clean conscience."

He stormed out, and Natasha followed him. Steve collapsed on the couch, feeling a headache coming on.

"How is he, Doc.?" Steve asked Banner.

"He's in pretty bad shape. Fever, internal bleeding, damaged organs, he should be delirious. Mentally, that's a different story. He was almost broken. He has no sense of identity, and wants to make things right. He is wary of us, possibly of rejection, as hope was the only thing that kept him alive. He needs time and friends at least. I'm not sure what to do about his magic though. I'm a scientist, not a sorcerer." Banner said methodically.

Steve ran his hands over his face and sighed. "What do we do about Fury?"

"What about him?" Stark asked nonchalantly.

"You know full well, Stark. We need to tell him something, and soon, otherwise Natasha and Barton will." Steve said.

"Why don't you say that we've got a temporary guest. If Fury comes over, we could just hide him or something. Then when he gets better, we could introduce a new Avenger to the public. But Loki would have to illusion himself though." Stark spoke up.

Steve was relieved. He was a simple guy. Point him in the right direction and let him go. He wasn't good at strategy or secrets.

"Okay. Sounds like a plan. We should tell the others." Steve said.

An alarm went off, and Banner's wrist watch went off as Jarvis alerted everyone. "Sir. Mr. Laufeyson seems to be having a fit. His vitals are dropping and he is thrashing around quite a lot. I recommend immediate medical assistance."

Banner was the first one out the door, with Tony and Steve on his heels. They entered the room to see Loki writhing on the bed, blood running out of his mouth, deathly pale.

"Shit!" Banner ran to the side of the bed and tried to hold Loki down.

The god was shaking violently, like a leaf in a storm. His eyes were closed, and his body was rigid, down to his clenched fists and toes.

"He's having a nightmare and the disease is renewing its attack. Steve. Go get Thor. Stark. You go and get Clint and Natasha." Banner ordered.

Steve ran out of the room in a panic. He was fine in battle and war, but in these type of situations, he was helpless. He checked all around before going to the roof. Thor was standing near the edge, but turned when he heard Steve's footsteps. Thor didn't need to hear anything before understanding the situation. He ran ahead of Steve and zoomed into the hospital room. Steve followed a few seconds later and was met with chaos. Blood and vomit covered a patch of floor, and Loki looked worse than before, like a skeleton with skin stretched tight over it's bones. He was so pale and skinny, that it went beyond unhealthy. He was currently twisted in a position that would break Steve's spine, despite the restraints of both Banner and Stark. Clint and Natasha stood a good ten feet away, obviously on edge.

"He's having a nightmare. We need to wake him up. Something in his subconscious is triggering the attack. Thor. Could you try talking to him. Get through to him. Let him know he's not alone." Banner instructed calmly, ignoring the thrashing and various liquids.

"Loki! My brother! You need to wake up. You're hurting yourself." Thor shouted.

"_Good." _The hairs on Steve's neck rose as a voice spoke in his head.

Judging by everyone's flinches, they heard it too. Thor shook his head resolutely.

"No, Loki. Not good. You need to get better. I can't lose my brother again. Don't leave me, Brother." Thor pleaded with him.

"This isn't working. We need a Plan B." Steve said.

"I've got a Plan W." Stark said.

Stark let go of the limb he was trying to hold on to. Steve rushed forward to take hold of the limb. He was amazed by the god's strength. Even sick and weak, he was stronger that Steve by a lot. Stark came back with a glass of water and threw it in Loki's face. The god sputtered indignantly and awoke, glaring at the ring of Avengers around him.

"Why are you people watching me sleep? And why am I wet?" He asked irritably.

"Brother! You are unharmed. Don't ever do that again." Thor beamed happily and tried to give Loki a bear hug.

Loki diverted him by flinching into his pillow. "What did I do?"

"You had a nightmare and your vitals dropped. Whatever you dreamed about, it triggered the disease to renew its attack. Your vitals dropped alarmingly low and you were coughing up blood. Do you remember what you were dreaming about?" Banner told him.

Loki frowned as the memory came back. "Ah, yes. I believe that I was having one of those nightmares I told you about earlier. This particular one was about seeing my mother die while I killed her, or I while I watched helpless. I saw her lifeblood spill out and the life leave her eyes. A particularly nasty one, even compared to the others."

Steve couldn't believe Loki's nonchalance as he discussed his deepest fears. Loki answered the question as thoughtfully and objectively as a scientist. He still trembled and sweated, but acted like he was still a prince.

"Are his vitals fine now?" Steve asked Banner.

"Surprisingly so. He seems to have stabilized somewhat. How cold was the water you threw on him, Stark?" Banner responded.

"Umm. I grabbed something from the cooler. It was the closest water I could find." Stark said.

"That explains everything, then!" Thor boomed happily.

"It does?" Stark asked.

"Or course it does! Loki is a Frost Giant. He comes from the coldest planet in the universe. He is the most comfortable in cold climates." Thor explained.

"Please tell me you did not just tell everyone that." Loki sighed.

"Wait. Odin's not your father? Thor's not your brother?" Stark asked.

"And here come the questions. Yes, Stark. I am adopted. That is why I started the whole world domination scheme. I have Daddy issues." Loki said sarcastically.

"That explains a lot." Clint muttered.

"Say that to my face." Loki said quietly.

"I just said that that makes a whole lot of sense." Clint drawled louder and walked forward to the foot of Loki's bed.

Thor, Steve, Banner, and Stark all tensed as they waited for Loki's response.

"Thank you." Loki said, a ghost of a smile flitted around his lips.

Everyone was struck speechless by those two words. Even Clint had nothing to say.

"Now. If you're all done looking like stunned Bilgesnipes, I would very much like to take an ice bath." Loki smirked around the room.

"Of course." Stark was the first one to recover. "Do you want it Antarctic or Frozen?"

"As cold as you can manage." Loki requested politely.

"Okay. It'll be ready in ten." Stark left the room in a rush.

"You can stop the awkward staring now." Loki said to the room.

Steve started embarrassingly, and coughed into his fist. Clint and Natasha withdrew until their backs were against the wall. Thor and Banner remained by Loki's side. Stark came in after a few minutes, declaring that Loki's bath was ready. Steve wanted to sigh in relief. Loki asked Thor to help him get to the bathroom. Thor obliged and help Loki's arm as he shuffled slowly to the bathroom. Loki was so small and sickly that Steve could see his bones poking through his skin. Clint and Natasha slipped out of the room. Stark returned back to his lab. Banner stayed in the hospital. Steve went back out to the living room and plopped down on the couch. Thor came out of the bathroom and joined Steve in the living room. The silence felt a little uncomfortable, and Steve had a hard time not staring at Thor. Loki walked out of the bathroom after another twenty minutes. He was dressed in casual human clothes, and didn't even look condescending. His hair curled around to his shoulders, and his green eyes looked tired. He limped a little, but looked much better.

"Brother! Do you need help?" Thor rushed to his brother's side.

"I'm fine. Did you manage to contact Mother in any way?" Loki leaned into Thor anyway.

"Oh, yes. She gave me a very cryptic hint. I'm not sure what to make of it." Thor boomed happily.

"Perhaps I will be able to make sense of it. Hello, Captain." Loki nodded to Steve.

"Please. Call me Steve." Steve felt awkward.

"Very well, Steve. What is the clue?" Loki sat down in a chair and Thor hovered by his shoulder protectively.

"Umm. Only by blood can bonds be broken. The ties 'twixt family are stronger than none. Mighty weapon, but steel is oaken. Mother to daughter, father to son. Any ideas?" Thor scrunched his eyes closed as he tried to recite the hint.

"Hmm. Leave it to Mother to come up with something as fiendish as this. Give me a few minutes." Loki's eyes narrowed, and he looked to be in deep concentration.

Thor fidgeted for a few minutes before giving up. "I am tired of this. I wish to free you of your bonds. I have an idea."

"Pray tell. What is this idea?" Loki raised an eyebrow.

Thor grinned and Steve felt his stomach start to churn.

**Stark, Steve and Banner are being so nice to Loki. Yay! Clint and Natasha don't like him very much. Sorry for all Clint and Nattie fans for making them haters. And there will be no Loki/Steve, Loki/Banner, Loki/Stark, or Loki/Thor. **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Strife

_Loki P.O.V _

"This is a very bad idea. This takes the cake." I told Thor, trying to hide the nervousness in my voice.

"Stop being wimpy. This might work." Stark teased, getting a slim black device out of his pocket.

"What are you doing?" I asked him warily.

"I'm going to film this and post it on YouTube. It's going to get millions of views." Stark snickered.

Being unfamiliar with those words, I chose to ignore him, choosing to direct my attention back to Thor. "I may be feeling better, but I doubt I am fully prepared for this sort of exercise."

"Don't fret, Brother. It will be fine and you will be free in no time at all." Thor smiled at me.

This whole setup was quite dubious. Thor had set my manacled hands on a large boulder that he had dragged in, oblivious to Stark's complaints. He held my chains still with one hand and was preparing to swing Mjolnir to try to break the chains with the other. I had never liked Mjolnir anyway. It had always felt like it was sizing me up and not finding anything it liked. If it was a cantankerous donkey I might like it better, but we put up with one another in mutual dislike.

"Is this safe?" Banner asked from the doorway. "Will anything catch on fire from sparks, or whatever?"

"Yes, Thor. Listen to Banner. We wouldn't want to destroy Stark's beautiful home any more, now would we?" I said desperately.

"You can't wriggle your way out of this one. I'm going to get you out of these chains one way or another." Thor teased.

I gulped accidentally. Thor gave me an evil smile, and brought Mjolnir over his head.

"Now I _definitely_ don't want him to bring the hammer down." I heard Stark mutter behind me.

Thor brought Mjolnir down with an almighty clang. I howled from the impact vibrating up from my arms and the sound that drove spikes into my eardrums. Nothing happened to the manacles, so Thor did it again. And again. And again. I went numb from the repeated impacts. Then, before Thor swung again, I heard a tiny crack. Cheered on, Thor swung even faster. After a few more swings, the chains fell apart. I snatched back my wrists out of the line of fire and rubbed them soothingly.

"It worked!" Thor sounded pleased with himself.

"Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again." I made sure to enunciate and get my point across clearly.

"But it got you free!" Thor beamed.

"This is going to be on the Internet forever." Stark chortled.

"Can you feel your magic again?" Banner asked me.

I frowned and reached inside myself. I felt the deep well of magic and tapped into it. It rose to greet my enthusiastically, and I sighed from relief. It curled around me soothingly and started to heal my injuries, emitting a concerned and apologetic air. My hands lit up with green sparks of magic, but it faded away after a moment.

"I can reach it, but it will be a while before I can use the full scope of my abilities. It will suffice for now." I said, feeling inordinately better.

"What the blazes happened in here? And why is Loki free?" Clint stormed in with Natasha and the Captain behind him.

"Thor hit Loki's manacles with his hammer and they exploded." Banner said in way of explanation.

"Okay, but why is he free? He has his magic now. Go heal yourself and get right back into a cell." Clint crossed the line.

I felt a familiar anger begin to burn in my veins. I felt my shoulders go back and my spine stiffen. He crossed a line, and he couldn't go back. Thor must have felt my anger, because he carefully moved to my side.

"Careful, Brother. Don't kill the mortal." He rumbled.

"Oh, please. I'd like to see him try." Clint sneered.

I breathed in through my nose. "I will never go back to a cell. If I have to die to be free, then so be it. I will never go back to one, and I find the fact that you would put me back there so soon after breaking out of one frankly insulting. I would take my leave of your presence. Good day, Gentlemen and Lady."

Clint laughed. "Yeah. Run away like the coward you are. Bet you hid in your mother's skirts when you were younger too. See where that got her. I bet she didn't even want you as a baby."

That did it. I saw red and felt anger roar through my body. I moved faster than I knew I could and ran at Clint, grabbing his throat and pinning him to the wall, three feet above my head.

"No one talks about my mother like that. If I hear one more disgraceful word out of your mouth, whether it be about my mother, my father, my brother, any other Asgardian, or myself, I will break my promise to the Captain to rend you limb from limb with my bare hands, and thus lose the only thing I have left to me. I have no dignity, my body is decimated, my mind is razed, my soul howls for death, and I will break my word to see you suffer. Since I cannot kill you, I'd better let you go before I lose control altogether." Saying thus, I let him drop to the floor in front of me.

I controlled my breathing, not noticing that I had stopped trembling and stood straight and proud. I felt strong, invincible, nothing like the weak and pathetic creature I had become. It felt ... _good_. Seeing someone kneel before me in subservience gave me memories. Memories of another time, another life. I had to stop myself before I went too far. I abruptly turned away and strode off to an empty corner of the room.

"I will _never_ go back on my word." I said, more to myself than the others.

"He's crazy!" Clint wheezed.

"Yes. I am. Did you really just notice that?" I breathed out a laugh.

"Guys. Stop. This could be dangerous. We don't need any more strife here." The Captain cut in.

"But haven't you heard? I am the God of Mischief, Lies, and Chaos. I bring strife with me wherever I go." I chuckled.

"Be that as it may, we still need to get along if we're going to work together." The Captain said.

"I'll never work with him." Clint spat and rushed out of the room, Natasha at his heels.

"Oh dear. I don't think they like me." I mocked.

"You could make an effort." The Captain said disapprovingly.

"I have. I didn't kill him even though I wanted to so bad that I could taste his blood. I rather thought that I did a bang-up job of handling myself. I only gave him a few bruises than a meeting with his maker." I mocked.

"This is not a time for jesting, Brother. They do not trust you, and it is unwise to provoke them." Thor cautioned me.

"It is unwise to provoke _me_!" I shouted, but immediately realized my mistake and reigned in my anger.

"Is there a place where I can punch something or practice magic perhaps?" I asked.

"Umm. You could use the training room, but Clint will probably be there now. Since I don't care about the couches, you could use here. Just make sure to not hurt anyone if they want to watch." Stark said.

I nodded sharply to him and rearranged the furniture. I pushed the couches to the sides of the room and sat down on the rug in the middle of the room. The other hurriedly retreated to the kitchen, where they would be able to see, but not be in immediate danger. I sat with my back to them, and tried to meditate. It didn't work. I could still feel their stares in my back. I shot to my feet and kicked a nearby metal table. It screeched away and tumbled to the wall twenty feet away with a loud crash. That felt better. Ignoring the starts of surprise, I sat down again. Meditating worked this time. I could feel the anger and bloodlust seep out of me. I let myself relax, even though I was in the presence of my former enemies. I relaxed so much that I didn't notice that I had reached for my magic. When I heard shouts of surprise, I opened my eyes to see the Avengers scrambling around the room, trying to bring down the levitating furniture. They were hovering softly, but I let the furniture down with a bang.

"When I said you could use this room to practice, I didn't really think that you would destroy the furniture." Stark grumbled.

"I am very sorry, Stark. I can replace them, if you desire." I offered, breathing through the pang of guilt.

"If you can, then go ahead." Stark said grudgingly.

I snapped my fingers and the broken furniture flew together and repaired themselves. Within five seconds, the furniture had been repaired and were in their former positions. I smirked.

"I am so glad that you seem to have regained your health, Brother." Thor exclaimed and clapped me on the back with a meaty hand.

I huffed and stumbled forward a few steps. Glaring back at him, he paled and stepped back. I smiled at him and straightened upright. I walked over to him and clapped _him _on the back. He huffed and stumbled forward. He mock-glared at me, with a _very _familiar glint in his eyes, and I started to back up.

"Now Thor. You don't want to do anything hasty." I said, retreating steadily.

"Hasty is my middle name." He sent me a wicked smile.

"Really? I thought it was -." I was cut off as Thor tackled me.

I yelped and barely dodged it, but as he passed, I stuck out a foot and tripped him. His head landed inside the wall. He looked quite helpless and pathetic with his head stuck in the wall. I couldn't help myself. I started howling with laughter.

"Brother, please. This isn't funny." Thor grumbled.

"Quite to the contrary. Where is that YouTube thing, Stark?" I asked through my chuckles.

"Right here ... aaand it's sent. That's going to get so many followers." He chuckled along with me.

"Loki, please. Help me." Thor pleaded.

"Alright, alright. Why am I the always the one to get you out of these type of situations?" I levitated him out of the wall and set him down gently.

"Because you're the one to get me in them in the first place. And because you're extraordinarily good at it." Thor gave me a bone-crushing hug.

"Hmm, yes. It is rather my sort of thing." I scoffed.

"And glad I am of it." Thor released me and I pressed a hand to my ribs.

"Do you two normally act like this?" Banner asked Thor and I.

"Unfortunately not, as of late." I smiled wryly. "But we seem to be getting along better nowadays."

"Umm. I have a question." Stark quipped.

I raised an eyebrow.

"I read a lot about you. Lots of myths. Were any of them true?" He asked casually.

I had a sinking feeling in my stomach as I thought of a particular myth.

"Which one are you curious about?" I said slowly, almost afraid to ask.

He sniggered. "I'm just curious how a man got knocked up by a horse and gave birth to an eight-legged horse. I mean the hospital bill must have been enormous, not to mention that it's physically impossible."

**Yay! Loki got his magic back! He's okay! And he beat up Clint! And Stark asked about Sleipnir... What's Loki gonna do to him? I hope Stark doesn't have to accidentally learn how to fly without his suit ...**

**BTW: R&R! I'm getting sad from no reviews for like three chapters straight. No reviews means no more chapters. And I mean it! I'm dying slowly from the inside. *****Sob***


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Revelations

I said nothing as I stared at Stark. He said nothing and smirked innocently at me. I smiled back at him, long and wide enough to make him uncomfortable. Then I got up and left. I wandered around aimlessly before finding an empty common room. It had a bookcase full of books and a large, black screen on one side. I walked towards the bookcase curiously. It was full of mostly scientific treatises and I picked one up. It sounded vaguely interesting, and I was never one for missing an opportunity to learn. I sat down and sprawled out on a couch. After an hour, I was actually interested in the book. It wasn't a book about magic, but it would suffice. I heard footsteps come in, but made no move, my nose still in the book.

"Hello, Banner." I said, still not moving.

"Hello, Loki. I see you found my safe house room." Banner said.

"I am sorry. I can move to a different room if it is too personal for you." I apologized.

"No. It's fine. I was just trying to find you. I thought you might be in here because of the books." Banner rambled a bit.

"Well, here I am. What do you require of me?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh. Umm. I just wanted to see if you would like to come to the lab with Stark and I. Thor said you shouldn't be alone. Although now that I think about it, you don't really want to see Stark, do you." Banner wrinkled his forehead.

"Thor said I cannot be by myself? He does know that I like to be alone, does he not? Or is it because he does not trust me." I said bitterly.

"How can you say that? Thor loves you. He saved you from Asgard, regardless of the consequences, disobeying his father to save you. He stopped us from hurting you and tried to save you so many times. Without his love for you, you would be in a pit somewhere." Banner exclaimed, shocked.

"Very well, Doctor. Where is this lab you speak of?" I stood up after marking my spot in the treatise with a piece of scrap paper.

"Oh, umm, just follow me." Banner scrambled to his feet.

I followed him out of the room, staying behind him and to his right. He looked back a few times, concerned with the fact that I made no noise as I walked.

"Are you all right?" He asked me.

"Quite fine. Why?" I asked.

"Well, it's just that earlier today you were bleeding heavily and dying. I'm not sure if you are really healed, or if you're acting like your fine for either Thor, your dignity, or to keep us off your back." He said sharply.

I smirked. "That ice bath did wonders. Having my magic back helped a great deal. I was able to heal most of my bodily injuries. I am almost fully recovered. If I was not, then I am sure that either you or my brother would notice."

"Oh, okay then. Here's the lab. Try not to take what Tony says to heart. He has your type of humor." Banner said softly.

I followed him to see Stark in his suit, suspended by his machines that were tugging at his armor.

"Geez, Tony. Are those bullet holes?" An unfamiliar female voice asked Stark from out of my line of sight.

"Lets face it. This isn't the worst thing you've seen me doing. Hey! Rage monster and Rudolph. Took you long enough." Stark exclaimed, seeing us in the door.

"What on Midgard are you doing?" I walked forward with my hands clasped behind my back to walk around him, regarding his suit.

"I have to fix my suit. What do you think I do here at the Avengers? Prance around sparring verbally with Spangles all day? I go fight threats to world peace. I ran into a surprise attack and one of my flight stabilizers got busted." Stark responded.

"Stop wisecracking and get to work, Tony. The sooner we get this fixed, the sooner Fury doesn't live up to his namesake." Banner took of his coat and rolled up his sleeves.

"Who is he, Tony?" The unknown female asked.

I looked at her. She was of medium height, freckled, orange hair. Not beautiful, but pretty in a delicate way. Judging by the way she hovered around Stark protectively, she was his lover.

"Pepper, meet Loki, Frost Giant, Norse God of Mischief, psychotic alien, and the guy who tried to destroy the world. Loki, Pepper Pots, my girlfriend. Don't worry, Pepper. He's fine now." Tony introduced us flippantly.

"Lady Potts." I gave her a half-bow. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise." She recovered quite expertly from the shock, but still watched me warily.

"Why am I here, Stark?" I asked, still looking at Ms. Potts.

"We thought that you might want to learn more about Midgardian science." Banner added.

"Very well. Impress me." I smirked and sat in a chair next to Banner.

Over the next few hours, Stark and Banner taught me. Ms. Potts left halfway between. I learned so much, that even I received a headache. My mind whirled with new knowledge. In Asgard, science was a neglected hobby of few, magic preferred by all. I had always thought that Midgardians were dull creatures and that Asgardians were far more evolved, but I saw that I was wrong. We were just different peoples. Asgardians may live much longer, be stronger physically, and be worshipped by some Midgardians, but Midgardians were unique in their own way. They are inquisitive, much smarter and stronger in ways that Asgardians are not. Their lives are fleeting, but they seek to fill them with as much as they can. I marveled at this as I worked. I was able to look at Midgardians in a new light, instead of one blinded by arrogance and ignorance. I felt my soul stir from these new ideas, felt it start to glow underneath the layers of hate and anger. I shook my head in shock and disbelief.

"What's wrong?" Banner asked me.

"Nothing. I just realized how wrong I was about your race. I am in shock because I know the truth." I smiled a little.

"Okay. Well stop it. Any more freaking me out and Banner will have to beat it out of you." Stark joked.

"Don't bring me in on this. I just want to work in peace." Banner held up his hand in surrender.

"Hey. That reminds me. Who is Sleipnir?" Stark asked.

My smirk disappeared. I was spared an answer when my brother entered the door.

"Brother! I was wondering where you had slinked off to. What are you doing?" Thor asked curiously.

"I am helping Stark and Banner fix the iron armor. Banner is working quietly. And Stark is annoying me again." I leaned back in my chair and regarded Stark coolly with a smirk.

"Hey. Chill, Reindeer Games. I'm just keeping it light." Stark said.

"Chill? All right. If you say so." I smirked devilishly.

"Brother, what are you thinking? Oh no. Don't scare the mortals." Thor realized what I was going to do.

My smirk grew wider as I spread my hands, gesturing in small movements. Snowflakes started falling from the ceiling. The temperature dropped to subzero. I flashed into my frost giant form, just for a nanosecond. From the flinches and blanching that went around the room, that was enough for them. When a blizzard started, Stark had had enough.

"Hey, hey, hey. Quit it. Sorry for inadvertently getting you ticked off, but stop making it snow in here. My suit's gonna freeze up if this continues. Don't make your new nickname be Frosty." Stark warned me ominously.

"It is merely a jest." I replied as I ended the spell.

The room was covered in a thin layer of snow and the screens on the walls were covered in a thin sheet of ice.

"This is going to take forever to repair." Stark moaned while examining the screens.

"If you are so put out by it, I can fix it." I offered.

"Go crazy, Red-Nose." Stark grumbled.

"I'm already insane." I grinned.

I spelled away the snow and ice, and in a moment the room was clear.

"Thanks, I guess." Stark scratched his head.

"You are welcome. Now, if someone would direct me to my sleeping chambers, I would like to rest myself." I said, standing up.

"Umm, sure. Hey, Pepper." Stark tapped on his earpiece.

"Yes." Lady Potts's voice floated out of the device.

"Do you think you could guide our guest to his room? Please. I'll pay you back somehow." From his insinuating tone, the suspicion that she was his lover grew stronger.

"I'm sure you will. I'm coming over now." Pepper sounded tinny, her tone impassive.

"Bye, Pep. She'll be here momentarily." Stark hung up.

"I know. I could hear both sides of your conversation." I raised an eyebrow.

"Dang it. I really have to calibrate the system. It's supposed to monitor my sound waves from my throat so I don't have to actually talk. It should be silent." He frowned and removed the device, muttering to himself and heading back to his desk.

Lady Potts entered the room. "Okay. If you'll follow me, Mr. Odinson."

"It is Laufeyson, Lady Potts. Odinson is my brother and Odin is not my father, despite what everyone thinks." I smiled painfully.

"I'm sorry. And you can call me Pepper. Lady Potts is just too formal. Why do you and Thor call all women 'Lady'. It's kind of racist." Her heels clicked as she led me down the hallway.

I followed silently a step behind with my hands clasped behind my back.

"I apologize. I meant no offense. In Asgard, Thor and I were raised to always be polite to the fairer sex. Women are not warriors in Asgard. The only woman warrior is my brother's friend, Sif. Calling women 'Lady', is deemed polite and is ingrained in my psyche. Would Ms. Potts suffice?" I didn't know why I was telling her so much, perhaps because she was a good listener and did not shun me when she met me.

"That's better, but what do you mean that no women can fight? Here, in the United States, women can join the army and fight for their country. Women can be smarter than men and can have skills that men will never have. It just seems so ... Middle Ages." She spoke passionately.

"Asgardians age differently than you do. In two generations, there could be a gap of thousands of years. We do not change quickly. We rarely come to Earth. Indeed, the last time Thor came here before his banishment, humans wore horned helmets, wore animal skins, and fought wars with wooden ships and swords. Women _can _fight in Asgard. We are coming to accept it more and more. My mother, in fact, is an accomplished swordswoman. But she is of Vanaheim and the Queen. She is expected to be able to defend herself." I laughed wryly.

"Oh. Okay. Where is Vanaheim?" She blinked.

"Vanaheim is one of the nine realms. The race that lives on it are the Vanir. They are masters of sorcery and magic, and can see the future. They are kin to the Aesir." I smiled.

"Who are the Aesir?" She asked, wide-eyed.

"You are very curious, aren't you?" I smiled a real smile, my eyes twinkling.

"I'm sorry. It's just so interesting." She blushed a light shade of pink.

"It is quite all right. It reminds me of myself when I was younger. In answer to your question, Asgardians are the Aesir. It is the formal name for us." I smiled again.

There was something refreshing about her. I could see why Stark liked her.

"Can I ask you a question? It is rather personal, so if you feel that it is too intrusive, you do not have to answer." I asked hesitantly.

"Sure. Ask away." She responded immediately.

"There really is no polite way to ask this, but why are you with Stark?" I asked bluntly.

She blinked. "Wow. Umm. Okay. Tony was my boss when we first met. I was his secretary, so I basically kept his whole life together. I always thought that he was too obnoxious and too much of a playboy to interest me. Once he was kidnapped, I started to realize that I liked him as more than just a friend. I had to overload a reactor to stop Obadiah Stane from killing Tony, but the reactor would kill him too. He told me to do it, and I did. I thought that he was dead, but he wasn't. I realized that I loved him and found out that he loved me too. I stay with him now because we're partners, both in business and outside of it. He makes me laugh and we make each other happy. He's a good man, better than anyone I've ever met. Wow, I am really rambling. We passed your room."

We turned around and she led me to an inauspicious door. "Here you are."

She entered and I followed. I looked around. The walls, floor, and ceiling were white. From the entryway, I regarded the room. An indentation ahead in the left wall formed a small hallway leading to a small bathroom to the left. The indentation had a wall of mirrors facing out to the room. A small, blinded window was on the right wall. A medium-sized bed on the middle of the opposite wall extended out into the wall. A dresser stood between the bed and the mirrored wall. A bookcase stuffed full of books stood in the corner between the window and the dresser. A wingback chair sat near the bookcase with a matching footstool in front of it. I went over to a small silver panel above the dresser and placed my palm on it. The mirrors hissed open and revealed a closet full of clothes that were colored many different colors.

"Is it all right? I didn't know what your tastes were so I just went with everything. The room is white so you could add your personal style to it." Ms. Potts asked me nervously.

"I can change the color of the room as I like. The clothes are fine because I am not sure if I have a personal style anymore." I sat on the bed sadly.

"Why? What happened to you that would make you not know yourself anymore?" She perched next to me on the bed.

"Ms. Potts. I have been full of anger, rage, and hate for so long. I thought that my entire life was a lie. I refused my family and tried to kill my brother and father. I was sick, so very sick. I wanted to die so I fell into a void that I thought would kill me. It didn't, just spat me out onto a desolate rock. After I was captured at New York, my own father forced me into a barren cell and cast a spell on me so that I could not die of starvation and malnutrition, and took away my magic, while speeding up time for me so that I lived through a millennia in a year. I cried out for anyone to help me. I was tortured by the faces of the people I had murdered in cold blood. I realized my mistakes and my pain grew worse knowing that I could never atone for them. I fell into a coma-like state, only reviving once Thor rescued me. And now I am here, trying to set things right." I smiled sadly.

"Wow. That sucks." She said simply.

I nodded, then gathered myself and stood up, clapping my hands. "Would you like to see some magic?"

"Sure. What are you going to do?" She asked, a touch nervously.

"I am going to change the color of the room and change the clothes to a more Asgardian style." I said.

She gazed around in wonder as gold and green crept into the walls. The bed changed into a four-poster with rich pillows and sheets. The clothes in the closet changed into my Asgardian tunics, boots, and armor. The air hummed with my magic, and a faint otherworldly smell permeated the air.

"Wow. I like it." She managed to say.

"Hmm, yes. This is much better." I inhaled.

"Umm. I'll just go now if you're all settled in. Goodnight, Mr. Laufeyson." She made to go out.

"My name is Loki, Ms. Potts. You can call me as such." I called after her.

"All right. Goodnight, Loki." She smiled and closed the door after her.

I sighed and scrubbed my face wearily. I laid down on the bed and fell asleep.

**Bad Loki! He can really prank when he wants to. What's up with all the random nicknames? Stark can really go stir-crazy. And Loki realized just how awesome we Earthlings are! Finally! It took him long enough. Pepper's so calm and cool and collected, and is really for women's rights!**

**BTW: If these Author Notes are annoying, I can stop them. (But only if you review!)**

**BTW 2: Definition of 'Vanaheim' is from the Marvel Wikia. No ownership here.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Thrall

_Loki P.O.V (Flashback to after Thor)_

The face sneered down at me, purple, wrinkled, malevolent. The knife that he held dripped in blood. _My _blood. I was broken, lying in a pool of my own blood and bodily fluids. I moaned and he laughed, a sound of pure evil.

"Yes, little Godling. I want you to be aware of every slice, every increment of pain that I inflict. I want you to be helpless when I rip everything you hold dear away from you." He sneered down at me and it seemed like he loomed yards above me.

"Never." I gasped weakly.

"I've already won." He laughed again.

I laid there, feeling as if I _was_ fire. My broken body felt consumed in flames made of pain. My mind felt sharp, as if shards of glass had found their way in through my eardrums. I was in agony, having just escaped the void I had fallen into. The agony writhed. He laughed.

"You can feel it. The invasion of your innermost being, your secrets. The foreseeable feeling that you will not be able to control yourself soon. The delicious tearing of your mind and body. They will be mine soon. Soon you will not be able to think unless I allow it. It galls you. The fact that your will is no longer your own." He taunted me.

"I am my own man. Nothing will ever change that, whatever you may do to me." I spat.

He laughed again. "You were never your own man. Not even when you thought that you were safe in your golden halls."

The pain doubled. My broken ribs protested loudly when I coughed from the pain. My insides felt like they were scrambled then put back in by a hyper two-year old. My head felt fuzzy and vague. There was nothing to hold on to.

"And so it starts." He boomed loudly.

I stiffened as something entered my mind like a lance of pure pain. It took over until I felt nothing but pain. My fingers clenched and uncurled, independent of me. My eyes rolled in their sockets even though I knew that I had not given the order. I felt my awareness being dragged, bound in chains and dragged to a remote corner of my mind. I could only watch in horror as I stood up and looked around. My once green eyes now a startling blue. I tried to fight it, but pain acted as my jailer, forcing me to curl into myself numbly.

"How do you feel, my new thrall?" He asked me.

My lips moved. "Ready to serve you, Master."

Thanos smiled, no more than a skull's grimace. "Excellent."

I rebelled against the control, but to no avail. I could neither move nor think. I was chained, only an observer to my deeds. I watched in mute horror as my body became accustomed to the new driving force behind it. I eventually blocked all awareness and withdrew so deep into myself that I fell into darkness.

I gasped awake to Thor leaning over me and the Avengers to my left. I could feel my eyes flash blue, but revert back to green as the influence of Thanos faded from my mind.

"Oh dear. I thought that you would find out _after_ I killed him." I said weakly.

I was lying on my bed in my room. A patch of frost extended from me to a ten foot radius. I knew that I had reverted back to my Frost Giant form from the fact that I felt thirty degrees cooler.

"Why the hell were his eyes blue?" Agent Barton asked for no reason.

"Why do you think?" I snapped at him, my sharpened teeth underscoring the motion.

"Wait. That's the same shade that Barton's were when he was controlled by you. Why do you have those color eyes?" The Captain put two and two together.

I glared at everyone, red eyes making it more effective. "Make a logical deduction, Captain. You are capable of it."

I stood up, ignoring the hand offered to me by Thor. I glamoured myself so that I appeared human, not feeling well enough to transform and walked away. I was a storm of emotions. I had not wanted them to find out. I wanted them to think that whatever actions I had done while under Thanos's control were _mine _and mine alone. I neither wanted nor needed their pity. I found myself in some sort of training room. I sat in the middle of a kind of mat in the center of the room and tried to regulate my breathing.

"You're in my way." A voice spoke.

"There's not many people who can sneak up on me." I said, not opening my eyes.

"You said that last time. You need new catch phrases." Agent Romanoff scoffed.

"'Hulk Smash' is already taken." I smiled lightly.

"What happened back there?" She asked suddenly.

My eyes snapped open and I shot to my feet and towered over her, letting my facade slip. My frame grew larger as I transformed back into a Jotun.

"You know nothing. You are nothing. A mere mortal. You cannot begin to comprehend what I have been through. Do not pretend to care about me, because I can assure you that it is _not_ mutual." I hissed.

She impassively stood her ground. "Sheesh. It was just a question. Honestly, do you get like this every time you have a hissy fit? Every time we have a conversation, you act like this. It's starting to get old."

"Do not mock me." I snarled.

"I'm not mocking. I'm just acting as a concerned friend of a friend. But never mind." She responded.

"I don't want your pity." I shouted.

"It's not pity! You think that everything is about you. You think that everyone will think less of you, but they won't. Thor values you as his brother, his best friend. Banner and Stark like you and Cap seems to tolerate you. You are the only person who thinks like that. They all want to help you, but you won't let them. I came in here because they convinced me that you've changed, that you deserve a second chance. And what I'm seeing so far brings back a lot of memories about how you were in New York." She upbraided me soundly.

I deflated a little and reverted back to human form. "You are right. I apologize for my misconduct.

"Apology accepted. So what happened?"

I sighed. "I do not wish to speak of it."

"When Clint came back, he didn't want to talk about it either, but once he did, he was able to move on." She crossed her arms. "Come on. Lets go talk to the others."

"Very well, Agent Romanoff." I followed her, ignoring the constriction of my pride and vanity.

"Oi, Frosty. What happened? One minute you're making it Winter Wonderland in here, the next you're shouting at everyone and storming out." Stark said jovially.

"I apologize for my rudeness, but this was what I wanted to avoid." I stood apart from everyone with my hands clasped behind my back.

"Loki, what is wrong?" Thor asked, noticing my unhappy and pinched expression.

"I have something to tell you all. It especially concerns you, Agent Barton." He made a pointed glare in my direction, and said nothing.

I inhaled and suppressed the apprehension, anxiousness, nervousness, and avoidance swirling around inside of me.

"This will be easier to show you than explain to you. So with your permission, I will create an illusion in this room describing what happened to me." I looked around the room.

Stark, Banner, my brother, and Steve nodded after a few seconds. Natasha nodded hesitantly, and Barton nodded angrily after Natasha elbowed him and gave him a pointed glare.

"Get ready. This might tingle a little." I inhaled and worked the magic that allows them to see my memories.

**OMG LOKI WAS UNDER THANOS'S CONTROL! Natasha really got him out of that self-pity mode. Go Nat! What's the rest of the group going to do? I think Clint's gonna go HAYWIRE!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: A Trip Down Memory Lane

_Clint P.O.V (Sort of)_

Clint stewed in silence after Loki stormed out of the room. His bad mood even worse after seeing Natasha go after him. Loki's eyes had been freaking _blue_. The same shade that his had been when Loki had been controlling Clint. Thor wanted to go after his brother, but Banner, Stark, and Steve held him back, saying that Natasha could handle him and that it was better that Loki not feel pressured. Clint wanted to snort at that. That bastard had fucked up his life, and they didn't want him to feel 'pressured'. What a load of bullshit. Loki was the reason Clint heard his voice in his head, how his nightmares were full of Loki's whispered suggestions, how he still couldn't trust his own mind. He hated that son of a bitch with every fiber of his being.

Clint leaned on the wall, apart from the rest of the team, in a position that he could watch everything going on in the room. Thor was fighting Steve and Banner while Stark shouted at them all. Couldn't they see that Loki was playing them all? He was the puppeteer, pulling the strings and watching them dance. How could they be so blind? Thor stormed away and leaned heavily a wall, breathing heavily. Banner and Stark watched him warily. Natasha walked back into the room, Loki following behind her. Clint stiffened and glared at him, but Loki ignored his gaze. Stark called out to him with fake enthusiasm. Thor noticed that Loki looked a little peaked.

"I have something to tell you all. It especially concerns you, Agent Barton." The sneaky bastard said, barely glancing at Clint.

Clint redoubled his glare at this. He didn't want to be connected to that bastard in any way. He felt bad enough already, like a dancing bear, being poked at and bear-baited at all angles, tortured. Furious at everything, but unable to do anything about it. Hating itself, hiding from itself, hating the ineffectual rage.

"This will be easier to show you than explain to you. So with your permission, I will create an illusion in this room describing what happened to me." Loki said, looking around the room.

Banner, Stark, and Steve nodded almost immediately. What fools. When Natasha nodded, Clint looked at her in shock and betrayal. She elbowed him, hard, and made him nod. He nodded curtly.

"Get ready. This will tingle a little." Loki said, starting to cast the spell.

Clint wanted to say something, but he stopped as they hurtled down a tunnel full of whirling colors, noises, and wind. Clint could feel the cold wind slapping at him. He looked over at Loki, who was in deep concentration. Clint couldn't move or say anything, and judging from by others, they couldn't either. Suddenly, the tunnel ended and they were in a room with many odd trinkets. Clint watched a Loki storm in through golden doors behind them. Clint looked at their Loki. He watched with an agonized expression. The new Loki stormed past them, unable to see them, and picked up a glowing blue crystal. The new Loki turned blue with red eyes, and decorative scars appeared on his skin. He grew several feet taller and gained more muscle.

"Stop." Someone else called, an older man dressed in gold armor.

"Am I cursed?" The other Loki asked.

"No." The older man said.

"What am I?" Loki asked curtly.

"You are my son." Odin said gently.

"What more than that?" Loki turned around and showed his father his Jotun form. "The casket wasn't the only thing you took from Jotunheim that day, was it."

"No." Odin said quietly as Loki approached him. "In the aftermath of the battle I went into the temple, and I found a baby. Small, for a giant's offspring. Abandoned, suffering, left to die. Laufey's son."

"Laufey's son?" Loki asked disbelievingly.

"Yes." Odin said simply.

"Why? You were knee-deep in Jotun blood. Why would you take me?" Loki asked angrily.

"You were an innocent child." Odin said.

"No. You took me for a purpose. What was it?" Loki was angry now.

Odin didn't answer.

"Tell me!" Loki shouted, tears running down his face.

"I thought that we could unite our kingdoms one day. Bring about an alliance. Bring about permanent peace, through you. But those plans no longer matter." Odin said flatly.

"So I am no more than another stolen relic, locked up here until you might have use of me." Loki's face contorted.

"Why do you twist my words?" Odin asked.

"You could have told me what I was from the beginning. Why didn't you?" Loki didn't notice the tears he shed, instead indulging in his fury.

"You're my son. I wanted only to protect you from the truth." Odin said.

"What? Because I am the monster that parents tell their children about at night? You know, it all makes sense now. Why you favored Thor all these years. Because no matter how much you claim to love me, you could never have a Frost Giant sitting on the throne of Asgard." Loki shouted, pressing the point until Odin collapsed.

Loki faltered then, looking down at his father with bewilderment in his eyes. He knelt down and almost touched his father, before laying a hand gently on him.

"Guards!" He shouted. "Guards. Please, help."

Two guards rushed into the room towards the Allfather. Loki stepped away to permit them, an odd expression on his face.

The scene shifted, jerked. A new scene presented itself. Odin lay in a glowing golden sphere. A woman, Frigga, sat by his side. Frost spread on the door, and it shattered inwards, revealing a Frost Giant even larger than Loki. Frigga picked up a sword and tried to attack the Frost Giant. He swatted her away, and she crashed to the floor heavily. The Jotun walked over to Odin and lifted his eyelid.

"It's said, you can still hear and see what transpires around you. I hope it's true, so that you may know that your death came at the hand of Laufey." The Jotun rasped, and formed a dagger of ice.

Raising it above its head, he prepared to kill Odin. But before he could, a beam of golden light struck him. He crashed to the wall, and looked at his attacker. Loki, in a set of golden armor and horned helmet stood behind him with a staff in hand.

"And your death came by the son of Odin." Loki shot him again, and Laufey burst into a shower of golden sparks.

The scene shifted to a bridge with the end broken. Loki was hanging onto the spear, which was held by Thor, who was held by Odin. Thor and Loki hung out into empty space.

"I could have done it, Father. I could have done it. For you, for all of us." Loki looked lost and confused, almost childlike.

"No, Loki." Those two words bore the weight of the world for Loki.

Loki's face changed, becoming impassive.

"Loki, no." Thor said as he knew what Loki contemplated.

Loki let go of the spear and plunged down into the void without another glance at his family.

"No." Thor shouted agonizingly.

"No." Odin whispered.

The scene followed Loki as he fell. His face hard and cold. He plunged downwards. The darkness was beautiful, and the stars almost looked like they were falling, swirling around in a blaze of glory and color. Loki fell into the void. The scene changed again. Loki had landed on a desolate planet, no more than a bleak rock. He was curled up on his side, beaten, bloody, and bruised. Someone stood over him, a figure in a cape. He leered down at Loki, a purple grimace.

"You can feel it. The invasion of your innermost being, your secrets. The foreseeable feeling that you will not be able to control yourself soon. The delicious tearing of your mind and body. They will be mine soon. Soon you will not be able to think unless I allow it. It galls you. The fact that your will is no longer your own." The being taunted Loki.

"I am my own man. Nothing will ever change that, whatever you may do to me." Loki said weakly, barely able to rasp it out.

"You were never your own man. Not even when you thought that you were safe in your golden halls." The figure laughed, a harsh, wet rasp.

Loki stiffened and curled up even tighter in pain, his face drawn from the agony. His limbs moved, and from Loki's expression, he wasn't controlling them himself. Loki's head threw back, and his irises changed from emerald green to ice blue.

"And so it starts." The being seemed pleased. "How do you feel, my new thrall?"

"Ready to serve you, Master." Loki's voice sounded different, like someone else was talking through him.

"Excellent." The figure grinned grotesquely.

**What's the team going to think?! 10 bucks says that Clint's gonna freak out, Thor's going to apologize a lot, Loki's going to apologize a lot, Banner, Stark, and Steve are going to sympathize. So what do you think? I wouldn't bet against me, I'm the author.**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Mind Games

_Loki P.O.V_

I ended the magic and fell to my feet, dry heaving in the carpet. No one, not even Thor came to help me. When I got to my feet, I noticed that the room had fallen silent. Everyone stared at me. I subconsciously narrowed my stance, taking a step backwards. My shoulders hitched higher and my fists balled, ready for a fight.

"Loki. I-I should have known. I should have seen. I'm so sorry." Thor's voice broke, husky from unshed tears.

"And I thought that I had problems." Stark said from his seat on a chair.

"If this is anyone's fault, it's that purple guy's." Banner said staunchly.

"You weren't able to control yourself at all?" The Captain asked.

"He killed his own father?" Barton sounded outraged.

"So that was Asgard." Natasha said thoughtfully.

"Enough! If you will be quiet, I can explain all and answer any questions you may have." I cut through the cacophony.

The hubbub died down and all eyes turned to me.

"When I let go and fell into the void, I wasn't thinking clearly. I had thought that my father told me that I would never be Thor's equal in his eyes. That had been what I craved throughout my life; being a worthy son to him. Something snapped in me, I felt like I lost whatever humanity I had left. I crashed into a barren wasteland, broken and numb, and something found me. Thanos the Destroyer. He tortured me, battering my depleted defenses until he forced his way into my mind. I was chained into a corner of my mind and forced to watch my body's actions. I had no control over myself. This was the worst part. I have always valued my mind as the best part of myself, and to have it ... breached in such a way is a violation of myself. A few times I rallied my meager strength and was able to change my actions, albeit slightly. An instance was when I revealed Thanos's plan to Agent Romanoff or when I diverted the spear enough to miss the agent's heart. When Doctor Banner threw me around like a rag doll, which I am very grateful for, I was able to overthrow Thanos's influence and reaffirm my dominance. I regained my mind somewhat, only to be thrown into a room with just a cot for a millennia, my problems still not resolved. Even though Thanos's control waxed in the cell, I was able to keep him at bay. Now, if you have questions?" No one moved or said anything throughout my speech.

"I should have been a better brother. I should have been there for you when we were younger. I was so caught up in my own pride that I ignored you, telling myself that you didn't need or want my help. I am so sorry. I do not deserve your forgiveness." Thor said, his voice breaking.

"Thor. The only one at fault here is me. I brought it upon myself." I said bitterly.

"You killed your own father? Your biological one, I mean?" Banner asked me.

"Yes, I did. I had thought that my entire life was a lie, that I did not matter, that I had no purpose in the world, that I would never be equal to Thor. I waged a personal war against Odin, while getting my revenge on Laufey for abandoning me. I was misguided, vain, stupid, angry. I should not have done any of it. If I had learned to see the good in my life instead of blind ambition, I could have been happy. All of this could have been avoided if not for my stupid pride." Banner, Stark, Rogers, and Thor wore similar expressions of sympathy and grief.

"You had no control at all?" The Captain asked me.

"No. I could only watch in horror as my body was controlled, even my thoughts were not my own. Out of spite, I disrupted his plans in small ways when I gathered all my strength. Subconsciously, I must have wanted to divert any harm on Midgard because of Thor. I, personally, did not kill anyone outside of Thanos's influence. Thanos used his control over me to kill them through me." I looked away at this, ashamed of myself.

"Wait. You say you didn't kill anyone, but what about Coulson?" Stark asked me.

"Who is this Coulson?" I asked.

"The agent you stabbed through the heart before you sent Thor plummeting down in a glass cage." Barton spat.

"I did not kill him. Harm him, yes. But not kill. That was one of the handful of times where I overrode my orders. I moved the blade to such an angle that I missed his heart and other major organs and just hit muscle. He should still be alive if he received medical aid in time." I said.

"Bullshit!" Clint shouted.

"Hey, Clint. How did you not know that Loki was being controlled? I mean you were being controlled by someone who was being controlled." Stark asked quickly.

"I-I don't know. Look, I tried to repress every memory of that time. I don't want to revisit it now, so if you don't mind, I'm out of here." Barton started to walk out of the room.

I stopped him with a hand to the bicep. "I know how it feels to have someone take your brain and play, pull you out, and stuff something else in. I know what it feels like to be unmade. You know that I do."

He shrugged out of my cool grip and paced around the room. "There were times, times that I thought I could hear another voice layered on top of yours in my thoughts. But I shrugged it off, just sticking to the job. After, I forgot it because I wanted to blame you and only you. I still hate you, you bastard."

"I understand. I would hate me as well, no matter what I would do to atone for my mistakes. I do not blame you for hating me. I would try to forget my past as well. But I cannot, for it is what makes me who I am and keeps me from giving in to my nature." I said.

"I don't want your sympathy." He snarled and stalked out of the room.

"Well that went well." Stark quipped.

"Yes indeed." I sighed.

The next day, I stumbled into the kitchen, dressed in the comfortable clothes Stark calls pajamas. No one was up yet, so I glanced at the small display. It read 6:10. Stark had told me to talk to 'Jarvis' if I needed anything.

"Hello." I said experimentally.

"Hello, Mr. Laufeyson. What can I do for you?" A disembodied voice spoke.

"Err, nothing. I was just wondering when everyone else is expected to awaken." I said awkwardly.

"Mr. Rogers normally wakes in twenty minutes, followed by Agents Hawkeye and Romanoff. Mr. Stark and Doctor Banner usually wake from 8 to 10, and I do not know about Mr. Odinson." Jarvis said.

"Oh, thank you." I said.

I had learned how to cook on Asgard. Mother had wanted me to, saying that I would need it someday. The skill came in handy now, as I looked around the cabinets and retrieved ingredients and utensils for breakfast. I wasn't quite sure I was so cheery, but it seems that this feeling comes from telling all of your secrets to people who want to help you. When Rogers walked into the kitchen, he found me in an apron making waffles.

"Oh. Hi. Good morning." He looked around awkwardly, still in pajamas, as was I.

"Good morning. I am making breakfast. Would you like some waffles? I am not sure how I am making this Midgardian dish, but they seem to be turning out all right." I said cheerily.

"Uh, sure." He accepted a plate and sat down.

After a minute, he looked up in surprise. "This is really good!"

"I am glad you think so." I gave him a smile.

"What on Sam Hill smells so good?" Stark said with Banner walking behind him sleepily.

"I am making waffles." I explained. "Butter and syrup are on the table."

"They're really good." Rogers added through a full mouth.

"I'm game." Stark also accepted a plate, as did Banner.

"Brother. What heavenly smells doth draw my nose forward to this abode? Thor clumped in.

I sighed and gave him a plate. "Waffles. A Midgardian delicacy. Enjoy."

When he finished his stack of waffles, he threw the plate on the ground. "I like this dish. Another!"

"Thor! Yikes, buddy. You can't just do that. It's not good table manners." Stark jumped in alarm.

"I meant no disrespect." Thor just grinned, making no move to clear the shards.

I sighed and worked a spell to repair the plate. "Please excuse my brother. He has not traveled outside of Asgard in many years and has no grasp of Midgardian etiquette. The last time he went, mortals were whacking at each other with swords and horned helmets."

"Oh, okay. It's fine then. Hey. Why are you so chipper today?" Stark noticed my good mood.

"I do not know. I feel ... lighter, unburdened." I said thoughtfully, just sitting down with my waffles.

"Well that's good. It's better to have a happy God of Mischief than a bored one." Stark quipped.

An alarm went off suddenly. Red lights flashed and sirens whined. The Avengers ran from the table and to each of their respective rooms. When they came out in their uniforms, I realized that they had to go out and fight. Rogers hesitated, looking at me.

"What are we going to do about him?" He asked the rest of the group.

"I will stay with my brother." Thor stepped forward.

"Don't be silly. I can stay here by myself." I rolled my eyes.

"How can we trust you?" Barton asked.

"Hmm. Will this suffice?"

I moved my hands and murmured in a spell. When I finished, I walked to an open window and stuck my arm out and grinned at the Captain.

"Ow! What the hell is that?" He shook his head and stumbled a few steps.

"That is an alarm that will tell you if I do anything dangerous, like go out of this building or poke my long nose where it doesn't belong." I grinned crookedly.

"Okay. Well now that's fixed, can we go now?" Stark asked impatiently.

"Be safe brother. I will return after the battle." Thor promised gravely.

"Go after them, you bloodthirsty lug. Go get another villain for a change." I smirked.

After a few backwards glances, the Avengers ran out of the room and to the planes. I could see them through the windows as the planes took off.

**Poor Lokes! But Coulson didn't die! Hmmm. Loki's a good cook! Who woulda thunk?! And Loki and Clint sorta made up! Who are the Avengers fighting now? And what's Loki gonna do alone in the house? R&R please. I'm dying of neglect!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Family Values

I was left alone in the house. I wandered around in the hallways before changing into my customary green and gold tunic, and walking into Banner's 'calm room'. I sat down and picked up the scientific treatise I had started. After a while, I finished it. Looking around the room, I saw a pad of paper and, seeing nothing better to do, sat down to draw. I let myself not think, and slipped into a trance. Allowing my mind to draw whatever it wanted to, I thought about nothing and everything.

When I came to myself, and looked down at my drawings, I gasped in horror. Pictures of myself in my princely armor and horned helm, standing over grotesque corpses. Bloody bodies of my family and friends at my feet. Thanos standing over me, victorious and me a satisfied puppet. Myself standing as a ruler over Midgard, the people dead by my hand. Myself stabbing my mother. Myself killing the Avengers gleefully. My father broken and bloody, lying on his side, looking up at me in disappointment and fear. Gore, blood, enslavement, death prized in all of them, myself the bringer.

I couldn't breathe. The temptation of actually seeing it before me tested my resolve. I could feel decades of anger and betrayal bubbling up, urging me to carry out the scenes depicted. I couldn't let myself do that. I had finally started to be happy and I would not let myself jeopardize that for old imagined wrongs. I shoved the notepad away, disgusted by myself. I didn't know what I was going to do, but just then, my mental alert for Thor buzzed. My brother was in peril. I dematerialized and teleported myself to him, ignoring the prickle of the spell I had woven to tell Rogers when I left. I landed in a blaze of gold, in my golden armor and helmet, in an empty city street.

Thor gaped at me, but I saw that he was unharmed and so looked around to see what the trouble was. The rest of the Avengers stared at me, shocked speechless. They seemed to be uninjured as well, but my attention was mainly captured by the Asgardian army in front of me led by my father.

"Hello, Father." I said coolly.

"There he is, the traitor!" Sif yelled, pointing her spear at me.

"Hello to you too. I missed you too, Sif." I smirked.

"Loki. You should not have come." Thor warned me, readying Mjolnir.

"I felt that you were in danger so I came here expecting to have to get you out of it, not participating in a family reunion. Hello, Mother." I snapped.

"Oh, Loki." She ran to me and I hugged her back.

"Frigga. Stay away from him. He is dangerous and a criminal." My father said sharply.

She refused to leave my side.

"So what brings you to Midgard with your army on this impeccable morning?" I asked coolly.

"We have come to take you back to Asgard and make you pay for your crimes." Father said flatly.

"He has already paid for them, many times over. His actions were not his own. He was controlled by Thanos." Thor yelled at Odin.

"He is lying to you or else he has you under a spell. Why can't you see that he is playing you for a fool? He will turn on you once you let your guard down." Sif returned the yell.

"Oh for the love of all things holy and patient. What will I have to do to make you believe me?" I rolled my eyes at the childishness.

"You can return with us and go back to your cell for the rest of your natural life." My father proposed.

"No. But will this suffice? I forgive you, Father. I forgive you for not telling me the truth. For loving Thor more than me. For never believing that I was good enough. For denying me in the moment that I needed you most. For casting the spell that turned a year into a millennia. I am sorry for my actions. I was blind with ambition, false righteous anger at imagined slights, and a wrong sense of betrayal. After I fell from that void, a being found me, and weak from my soul being rent, he was able to overcome me and enslave me to his will. I had no control over myself when I attacked New York, but it is still my fault. I know that I cannot change what I did, but I can repent. And I have done so with all my heart. If you will not believe both of your sons, nor the mortals, then I will come with you willingly." I spread my arms and waited for his response.

My mother cried and clung to my side.

"Father. _You _were responsible for the spell in Loki's cell?" Thor asked quietly.

"Yes. He is a dangerous criminal and needed to be punished for his crimes. I took punitive precautions. Loki deserved it. I, as a king, cannot hesitate to carry out justice, even with my own kin." My father said flatly.

"You're really just figuring this out now, Thor? I thought I would have made it clear when I explained everything. Also Mother's riddle practically said it." I said with fake cheer.

"Odin. How could you do this to your son?" Mother said softly, her eyes blazing.

"I was doing my duty as king." He yelled, glaring at everyone.

"Father, I-I cannot return to rule by your side knowing this. I refuse to believe that the man who raised me, _us_, could be so cruel, no matter what the accused did. That is not how you taught me to act. You taught me to be merciful, kind, and just to everyone, regardless of their misdeeds. I-I ... I renounce the throne." Thor stood tall, facing down our father.

"No, Thor. Don't do this. You have always wanted to rule. You cannot give up your chance at the rule for me, I forbid it." I interjected, wide-eyed at his sacrifice.

"You would deny your family, your father, your king? All to protect a man who isn't even your brother, and who tried to enslave the world you love. Who could turn against you in a moment. You would give up your claim to the throne, your friends, your home?" Father said in puzzlement, as if trying to solve a particularly hard puzzle.

"Yes. I would. And he _is _my brother. No matter what he does. And if my family and friends truly cared about my brother and I, they would try to see past their hatred." Thor still stood proud.

Father, Sif, the Warriors Three, and the army of Asgardians stood in shock. No one moved. Even the Avengers stood quietly.

"I'm not worth it, Thor. It is of no use to fight them. I will go." I stepped forward and held my hands together.

"But you said you would rather die than go back to that cell!" Stark stepped forward confidently.

"Yes, I know what I said, but I have no choice now. They cannot kill me because of Thor and Mother and I cannot kill myself for the same reasons." I rolled my eyes.

"Okay. You. Guy with stick. I know that you think that we're all fools, or that we believe in an illusion, or whatever. But I personally think that you're the fool. With all due respect, of course. I think that Loki had changed. I mean sure, when he popped into my living room I was suspicious and angry. He did throw me out of a building, after all. But after I heard his story, saw him _cry_, saw him apologize for everything he's done, I thought that maybe he changed. I've seen that he is really messed up inside, I mean _really_ messed up, and that he wants nothing more than to fix his mistakes. If you can't see that and drive away your family because of it, then he's better off than you are." Stark told of the King of Gods confidently.

"Stop. None of you should be protecting me. I am a monster. I deserve none of it. I should go back to my cell and be thankful for it. Now are you going to take me back or am I going to have to transport myself there." I stepped forward and away from Mother, Thor, and the Avengers.

"No, Loki." My father whispered.

"What?" I asked, confused and disliking the memories that those two words brought back.

"I finally can see that you are not the same as you once were. No further punishment is to be carried out. I am sorry, my son." He walked away and towards the Bifrost site.

I knew things were far from fine between us. The army followed him, save for a few stragglers who glared at me. Mother rushed up and hugged me.

"I am so proud of you. Do not hesitate to contact me. I love you." She cried.

"Mother. You have to go with them. Father will need someone to help him. I will illusion you when I get a chance." She nodded and bustled off.

"Mama's boy." Stark coughed.

I swung around. "You may have changed the Allfather's mind, but do not think I will not hesitate to kill you if you insult my mother."

"Relax. It's a joke." He held up his hands in surrender.

"Let us return home to feast and drink merrily in the wake of our success." Thor clapped me on the back.

**Ooh. Loki's drawings aren't good. Is he battling himself, or something else? Hmm. But I'm so proud of him! He would have gone with Odin! Or maybe he was lying and it was part of his plan and that he knew that Odin would let him be? So many possibilities! I'm going into mental overload. Zzzz. Need sleep.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Nick Fury, Nick Happy

I plopped down on the couch with a groan. My armor flickered out of existence and I was left in my tunic. Stark followed, shedding pieces of his armor. Thor shed his armor and Mjolnir in favor of his tunic as well. Rogers took his armor off as well. Banner had gone off to his calm room to de-hulk-ify. The rest of us sat around the living room quietly. We sat in silence before it was shattered by Banner running in barefoot and dressed in rags, clutching something in his hand.

"What the hell is this?" He asked me.

I looked at my sketchbook, open in his hands. I gulped and shook my head. He showed it to the others, who glared at me warily.

"Why did you not tell me about this, Loki?" Thor rumbled.

"It appears that Thanos's reach is far deeper and rooted than I thought. He is in my subconscious, but I have been able to suppress him. I am in control of myself and I will not let myself harm any more innocents." I regarded everyone calmly and coolly, in spite of the roiling in my gut.

"This is serious! You should have told us! You could have turned evil and we wouldn't know." Natasha said.

"I drew those just before I felt Thor in peril. There was no time to tell you, and in the wake of the traumatic family reunion which brought back decades of hurt and anger, which I am currently trying to suppress, I forgot it." I snapped, glaring around the room.

"Now. If you'll excuse me, I would like to excuse myself." I got up and walked out of the room.

Not really seeing where I was going, I let my feet carry me. I was whirling, being buffeted by the self-loathing I was feeling. Lost, I turned and turned, searching for a ray of light. Whispers echoed in my head, from my time in the cell, reminding me that I was worthless, a monster. Thanos was in my head, laughing at my feebleness. I shouted and slammed my hands on the nearest wall and slid down to sit on the floor, my back to the wall. Staring numbly at the wall opposite, I struggled to regain my equilibrium and to not lash out with my magic. I was so frustrated with my weakness. I no longer wanted to feel like I was not my own person, not able to be in control of my facilities.

The wall opposite slid open with a loud grating noise. I jumped up, startled, and walked over curiously. Cool air wreathed around me as I walked in the dark doorway. Lights flickered on as I walked through the entryway. I saw weapons, forbidding, menacing, and many different types. I walked down the long room, fascinated by the inky blackness reflected back to me. Past the Hydra weapons, laid a long and thin box. I opened the box, ignoring the misgivings a corner of my mind shouted at me. The lid hissed open and mist curled out. When it cleared, I could see a familiar scepter. Entranced, I reached a hand out to touch it. I ignored my feelings of wariness and came even closer. I felt like I was swimming underwater, and that I sensed everything through a long tunnel. My hand touched the scepter and everything exploded to life.

I was hurtling down a dark tunnel through space with the scepter in hand. I had no control over my motions and I fell like a rag doll. The tunnel ended and I fell heavily to my feet. Thanos stood over me.

"You have failed me, little princeling. I wanted to have Midgard in the palm of my hand. You disobeyed me. You swore a blood oath that you would be my faithful servant. I demand blood payment. I will come for you. I will hunt you down like the coward you are. I will rip everything you love out of your life, even if I have to tear down the heavens to find you." He snarled, glaring down at me.

"Loki! Wake up buddy. Come back to us." Someone shook me.

Thanos lunged for me, but I felt myself being shaken out of the vision. My eyes flew open and I gasped awake. I was lying on my side on the couch in the living room. I rolled off it and dry-heaved. I closed my eyes. My head was pounding and my mouth tasted terrible.

"Give him some space!" Rogers held everyone back.

"Brother! You are all right! What were you doing with the scepter?" Thor asked me from behind the Captain.

I held up a hand weakly, rolling onto my back and closing my eyes. I coughed, the force rattling my frame. I felt awful, as if I had been stampeded by a herd of bilgesnipes. I felt battered, bruised, and my mind felt swollen and fuzzy.

"That was an insanely stupid thing to do. Why did you touch the scepter? You could have gone even more off the deep end and gone on a rampage and destroyed New York again." Stark berated me.

I tried to get up. "Thanos is coming."

"What? What do you mean Thanos is coming?" Banner asked.

"I mean that he was able to reach from my subconscious and direct my movements so that I touched the scepter. I had a vision when I touched it. Of Thanos. He said that he was coming for me and that he would rip everything I love out of my life. He also mentioned a blood oath." I was able to hiss this out while I eased myself into a slumped sitting position.

"Blood oath? Oh, Brother. You didn't." Thor gasped.

"It appears that I did." I sighed.

"Wait. What's a blood oath?" Rogers asked.

"It is a spell, one where the blood of two parties is mixed together and is formed into an inanimate object or returned to one party. The party that received the blood infusion is bound to the other for eternity, even past death. If one of them manages to break it somehow, the breaker's life is forfeit." I instructed.

"And you took one of those?" Banner asked.

"Apparently it is so." I grunted, trying to move my shoulder.

"So you two are blood brothers now. That is disgusting." Stark added flippantly.

"Help me up." I asked Thor.

He pulled me to my feet and laid a hand on my shoulder to steady me. I stumbled forward and into a wall. I left a crater in the wall from my hands and I looked at the craters incredulously.

"Holy cow! Are you on steroids or something?" Stark whistled appreciatively.

I only shook my head mutely in wonder. I staggered back to the couch and sat down, but got back up when I accidentally ripped the armrest off.

"I am sorry, Stark. I do not know what is happening to me." I still held the armrest.

"Umm. Can you just magic the wall and the couch back together?" He said slowly.

I nodded and gestured, mouthing the words required. The pieces whizzed around the room, Stark, Steve, and Thor ducking to avoid being hit. The fixes were made in a matter of seconds. I clenched my fists, standing straighter. I marveled at the strength flowing through my veins. It infused me, like liquid adrenaline. It was raw power, fueling my magic and my physical strength.

"Brother. Are you all right?" Thor asked me cautiously.

"I'm ... _better _than all right. I feel _invincible_. Whatever Thanos did to me through the scepter gave me a boost. It's ... incredible." I breathed, wrapping the sensation around myself.

"You're not going to go bag-of-cats crazy again, are you?" Banner asked me hesitantly.

"No. I can handle it. Thanos has injected his power into me. It is whispering in my head, trying to get me to attack everyone in reach. It is trying to make me feel how I would if I was the ruler of the universe." Everyone tensed slightly and moved their hands to the hilts of their weapons.

"Cool. Try to bend this with your bare hands." Stark tossed me a bar of solid metal.

I effortlessly twisted the metal into a pretzel and tossed it back to him. He caught it with a grunt of effort.

"Okay. You two have to arm wrestle." He pointed at me and Banner.

"Huh? What? No way." Banner shook his head emphatically.

"Yes. I agree. That would not be a good idea. I might lose control and injure him or others." I said, stretching my muscles lightly.

"Sir. Director Fury is entering the foyer now." Jarvis said calmly.

"Shit! You, go hide. We'll keep him busy. Who called him anyway?" Stark shot to his feet and gestured wildly.

"No one called me. I just happened to see a video capturing an Asgardian army, my Avengers, and the war criminal Loki, and decided to pop in and visit. So now that I'm here, why is he here?" Fury stalked in through the door, impeccably dressed in black leather with his customary eye patch.

"Damn." Stark said softly.

**What happened to Loki?! Thanos is controlling Loki's mind! What is Fury gonna do?! I, personally, think that the blood oath spell is supremely cool. If you think so, review and share your opinion with me. Even if you don't think so, review and tell me what I could have done to make it better. **


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Eye for an Eye

I whirled around and tensed, ready for an attack. This was definitely _not _what I had planned to happen.

"What is going on here?" Fury said, standing in the middle of the room and glaring at everyone, especially me.

"How is Agent Coulson?" I asked nonchalantly.

"Shut up. You don't get to talk about him or to me." Fury snapped.

I held my hands in mock-surrender and whistled under my breath.

"I guess you don't want to know my story, then." I smirked at him.

"I'll listen to whatever you have to say when hell freezes over." Fury sent me a fierce glare, and I mock-winced.

I stood up grinning, and let myself transform into a Frost Giant. "It is not wise to say that to a person whose main element isice and has family who runs the Underworld."

Frost spread from my feet outward, and the temperature dropped twenty degrees.

"Enough of the temper tantrums. What do you want to tell me?" Fury shouted, the veins in his neck standing out and his good eye twitching.

I immediately dropped the spells and sat back down on the couch in my human form. "As I am sure you know, I was sent back to Asgard to receive punishment for my crimes. What you do not know, was that the Allfather cast a spell on me, one that kept me from dying of starvation and malnutrition, and kept me from my magic, but sped up time so that the year became a millennia to me. I spent years alone, wasting away, calling out for anyone to help me. I saw the monster I had become. I saw the unspeakable evils that I had committed, and only wished for forgiveness and death. I truly wanted nothing but to repent for my actions. Another thing you do not know, is that after I fell from the void I landed on a barren rock, broken, lost, confused, angry, injured. A being called Thanos found me and broke my mind and body. He tortured me, swept aside my defenses and possessed my mind. I was not in control of my facilities when I attacked New York. I would have never attacked Midgard, I suspect in part of the love I felt for my brother, despite years of denying its existence. I have been shattered, my mind, soul, heart, and body scarred beyond recognition. I have nothing left, yet everything. The Avengers have let me stay with them, and somewhat trust me. If you will not trust them, then I do not know what will dissuade you." I looked into his eyes as I said this, both of us never wavering.

I spoke with as much sincerity as I could.

"He speaks the truth. We are not under a spell, nor is he casting an illusion. My mother and I took Loki out of his cell. He was weak, sick, and injured. He has not made an action against any of us for all that he has been here, and has spoken nothing but truths. If you take my brother away, I will have no choice but to fight you." Thor defended me, even banging Mjolnir on the table to emphasize his point.

"He killed hundreds of people, whether he was aware of it. He would have killed millions more. I cannot let someone like him go, even if he's sorry. He's coming with me." Fury made a motion and dozens of agents burst in the room.

"Wait, Sir." Barton spoke up reluctantly.

"Agent Barton. Why do you want me to wait? You of all people should want this the most." Fury glared at him.

"Look. I hate the asshole more than you do, but I think that he has changed. He paid for the crimes that he didn't commit many times over. Any punishment you think that he deserves, I can tell you that he doesn't. If that doesn't give you pause, then I don't know what will. Maybe the fact that he apologized to his father, then was willing to go with them to spare his brother, us, and the world the damage that capturing him would cause." Barton said bluntly.

I blinked at him spastically in shock.

"What? This is the last and only time I help you out. Don't get used to it." He flicked his collar up coolly.

"Be that as it may, he still needs _Midgardian _punishment. Ant, boot. Agents, lock him up." The agents positioned around the perimeter started to move in.

"No!" Thor called down lightning and struck the ground, forming a shockwave that knocked the agents down.

He moved in front of me protectively, readying Mjolnir to attack. I ground my jaw and moved forward to Fury.

"Don't be an idiot, Thor. They can do nothing to me that hasn't already been done. I surrender." I held out my wrists to Fury.

"But I promised to you and to Mother. I will not let you be taken." Thor shouted agonizingly.

"You don't have a choice." I called back to him.

Fury glared at me, and clapped handcuffs on my wrists. Agents fell into step around us and we started to walk. I sniffed the air. Something smelled wrong, like wet metal, or right before a storm. It smelled like magic.

"What's the matter? Offended by our puny stench?" Fury sneered.

"Shut up. Something is wrong." I snapped, trying to locate the source.

A portal crackled open in front of me, and a sudden wind howled to life. A figure strode through, several feet taller than even me. My heart sunk as I recognized him. Thanos leered at me, dressed in his customary helm, cape, and armor.

"What do you want, Thanos?" I sighed, acting nonchalant even as my pulse hammered in my throat.

"You owe me something, little Godling. I intend to be paid in full." Thanos snarled.

"Sir. I have to ask you to return to your portal and depart immediately. If you do not cooperate, the full force of Shield will force you to." Fury called out to Thanos, stupid mortal.

"You are no more than ants beneath my boot. I will crush you like the worthless scum you are. But not this moment. I have business with your prisoner." Thanos sneered at Fury.

"Any business you have with him, you have with me." Fury said.

"Very well, then." Thanos brushed him and the agents aside, and they crashed to the walls with numerous cracks.

"Oh, dear. Are they dead?" I mocked.

"I have a proposition for you, Princeling. You can join me once again and keep your life, or I will kill your brother and your newfound friends then force you to be a loyal follower. I know you want to join me. You can feel it gnawing at your newfound conscience. You need this, you need this power. You hate your new feebleness and position. I know you and you need the chaos that I bring. Join me, and be satisfied. I have already given you a taste of my power, your sudden strength." He said silkily.

My mind whirled, calculating and plotting, trying to see a way out of this, before striking on a plan. He wasn't wrong though. I could feel the darker of myself seethe and burn darkly, smoldering in a way that was exquisitely familiar. I was tempted, more than was safe. I teetered on the edge, feeling myself being dragged down. My face smoothed, becoming emotionless.

"Very well. I accept your most gracious offer." I said coolly, and walked to Thanos's side, snapping the handcuffs as I did so.

"Brother! No!" Thor shouted, his face anguished.

"It's nothing personal, Brother. But really. Did you really think that I had changed? It was all an act." I ignored the small twinge of guilt that pricked my heart.

"I knew this would happen." Barton growled, whipping out his bow and quiver.

"Come. We must prepare to enslave the universe." Thanos said gleefully.

"Yes, Master." I said blandly, following him as he turned to the portal.

"No! I will not allow this!" Thor shouted before attacking Thanos.

I put up a wall of magic around the other Avengers so that they could not interfere, ignoring their pleas. Thanos stumbled back from Mjolnir's swing. He growled and struck at Thor. My brother went flying into a wall and beyond, but a lightning strike zigzagged to hit Thanos. He fell to one knee as he absorbed the blast. Thor flew back in the room towards Thanos, who caught his throat with one hand, still on the ground. Thanos stood up, still choking Thor, and threw him with both hands. Thor blew another hole in the wall as he was thrown. I heard another crash in the distance as he fell into another building. I mock-winced. Thor flew back into the room, flying wobbly. Thanos grinned and finally attacked with his magic. A black shockwave appeared and exploded outwards, catching Thor and dropping him where he flew. He landed heavily and didn't move. I clenched my fists in rage as I abandoned my calm mask. This wasn't my plan. My plan was to attack Thanos in the portal, while everyone was safe here. Thor could be dead now because of me.

"Thanos!" I shouted.

He was breathing heavily, standing in a smoking crater. He didn't seem to be affected by the enormous amount of magic he had just channeled. I shoved that worrying thought out of my mind as I moved to face him.

"Did you really think that I wanted to join you? You tortured me. You took away my mind. I loathe you, and this is my revenge." I snarled, wind picked up around me, my hair standing on end from the charged atmosphere.

He laughed and spread his arms, daring me to do my worst. My magic manifested itself into lightning that curled in my hands as the wind picked up. My connection to Yggdrasil supplies me with magic. So from that connection I have an unlimited amount of magic, but have to channel it if I don't want to planet I'm on to explode. I let my magic go with barely any control, just a thought, "_Kill Thanos"_. It exploded from my outstretched hands, and I snarled from the effort, my hands moving as I diverted it to only him. It formed a black tunnel of clouds, in the middle as tall as I was, from my hands to Thanos. Lightening crackled in the tunnel, and color faded from the world, leaving only Thanos and I in vibrancy. Our colors became so vibrant from magic that we glowed with it. The air thrummed with Yggdrasil. It filled the air with glorious chords of music. Magic whirred in the air, creating suspense and it seemed like time suspended in this moment.

My energy ran out so I sank to my knees, fighting to maintain the flow of energy. But it was no use. My magic snapped and I fell to my hands, shaking and breathing hard, pale and exhausted from the effort. Noise faded from my ears as I looked at Thanos. He was lying on his side, clearly injured but alive. His face twisted from rage and pain as he called the portal back to him. He limped to the portal, supported by a Chitauri, and disappeared. My magic wall keeping the Avengers back had dissipated. Someone shook me, spoke to me. I only shook my head, and slowly got to my feet. Everything seemed to be moving slowly. Fury yelled and pointed at me, but Rogers held him back.

Banner moved Thor onto a hospital bed. I absently noticed that it was the same bed that I had been in when I first came here. I moved over to Thor and knelt by his side, frantically checking his pulse. He was alive, just barely. Banner moved next to me, shouting at the others. I looked down on his bruised and bloody face. My brother. I was the cause of this. I let my magic heal him, and it started to get to work, green sparks settling over his many injuries. I couldn't help but list his injuries as they healed; broken ribs, broken nose, fractured arm and leg, extensive bruising, internal bleeding. But Thanos had put a spell on him, and I couldn't lift it. He still was unconscious. I had healed all of the physical damage, but the spell seemed to be designed to keep him in a coma. Ignoring the Avengers and Shield agents, I stalked out of the room, not caring where I went. My brother had attacked Thanos believing that I was joining him in his evil plan, and I might never be able to tell him that it was one of my plans. He might never wake from his coma, and he might spend the rest of his life believing that I was about to betray him.

**Go Barty! But OMG! THANOS FOUND HIM! Thor is in a coma! Loki is depressed. Loki almost went to the Dark Side! But not really. Nick is Fury, not Happy. :(**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Not with a Bang but a Whimper

_Banner P.O.V (Sort of)_

Bruce rubbed at his eyes wearily. He was sitting on a half-destroyed couch in a fully destroyed living room, next to an unconscious demigod. Shield agents scrambled all over the place, and Fury and the other Avengers were engaged in a shouting match.

"He needs to be contained. Did you see the way that he was about to turn on us? He was about to sell us out." Fury yelled.

"Did _you _see the way that he attacked Thanos and healed Thor? He wasn't about to turn on us. I saw the look in his eye when he turned to the portal." Stark argued.

"He is dangerous. He was tempted by the offer. He thought about the offer and liked it. I don't care if you think he's innocent or if he's paid for his crimes. He is coming with us. Now." Fury gave them his blackest glare.

Banner just felt numb. He hadn't been able to let the Other Guy out. He'd froze, shocked by Thanos's sudden appearance. He knew that Loki wasn't going to betray them, no matter how much he liked the idea. Banner stood up abruptly.

"Do you think that you'll be able to capture Loki? I mean he just almost defeated a Titan, and you'll have to fight us too. Do you really think that you can do that? If I were you, I'd just get the hell out of our way." Banner said quietly.

He brushed past Fury, not caring about the shouts that followed. His heart rate monitor beeped, almost up to two-hundred. He stopped walking and leaned against a wall, closing his eyes. He thought about it for a minute, then he knew where Loki would have gone. He opened his eyes and started walking again. He slowed down when he saw Loki sitting against the wall outside of his calm room. Loki's eyes were closed, and he looked terrible; drawn, thin, pale, dark circles under his eyes. His hair fell to his shoulders, mussed and bloody. Banner slowed down as he approached the god.

"Do you remember your birth? Because I remember mine. I am old. So old that I saw the rise of Christianity and the fall of both Pompeii and Atlantis. I have been through so much and seen enough to make your mind blaze and burn like paper in an inferno. And yet, I am so tired. I am barely an adult in Asgardian standards, yet feel older than the Bifrost. Why does it all matter? Why does the Earth keep spinning? I don't know why I still live, even with this amount of pain. How can a person still be alive through so much agony, yet still find a reason to live? I feel as if I have been stripped away by the scorching heat of my anguish. I have nothing left. There is nothing to live for, and yet my lungs keep breathing and my heart keeps beating. It is so hard to keep myself breathing, and yet I do. Why?" Loki said blandly, a hint of mockery in his tone.

"Because you do have things to live for. You have your mother, your father, your friends. I know that it seems hopeless now, but things are the darkest before the dawn. Just keep going and you'll get there eventually." Banner said.

"Are those motivational sayings? They are rather droll." A wry smile twisted Loki's lips.

"Look. I know what it feels like to be tired, to be alone, to want to be dragged screaming to the depths of hell. But I rose above it. I found meaning in my life. You don't see it yet, but there is so much more to life than pain." Banner tried to cheer up the grieving god.

"This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper. I have spent my life in its entirety in pain. This is the final straw. This is my whimper." Loki quoted.

"I don't believe you. After going through so much, you're going to throw it all away because you think that you can't handle it? If you do, then you'll just be proving that you are weak. And you're not weak. In fact, you're probably one of the strongest people I know. Snap out of it. If not for yourself, then do it for Thor. He wouldn't want you to be in despair for him." Banner baited Loki.

Loki's eyes opened and his head whipped around to regard Banner, much like a snake. Banner shifted uncomfortably, wondering if he should hulk out now. Loki seemed to be debating Banner's words.

"You are right. I cannot die now, after having survived so much. Thank you for your words, Banner. I know now what I am going to do." Loki got up and strode off.

Banner slumped in relief. He wandered back to the others and sat back down next to Thor. The others were still arguing. Thor hadn't changed at all. Banner closed his eyes and leaned back on the couch to rest the crick in his neck. He heard a loud popping noise and looked up to see an older woman appear in front of them. She had gray hair and wore renaissance garb. It was Frigga, Thor and Loki's mother. Fury and the Shield agents drew their weapons on her. She waved her hand and the guns turned into bouquets of flowers. She rushed to Thor's side.

"Uh, ma'am. What are you doing here?" Banner asked awkwardly, moving out of her way.

"I am here to help my sons. Loki contacted me with telepathy. He told me that Thor was under a spell that he could not break. As I am the most accomplished magic user in the nine realms, he thought that I might be able to. Where is Loki?" Frigga said smartly.

The woman seemed to be efficient and tough. She may be worried about Thor, but her words reflected nothing but cool professionalism.

"Umm. Last I saw he was outside of my calm room, but he moved off." Banner said.

"Would all of you fetch him? I need this room to be cleared if I am to work magic." Frigga shooed all of them out of the room, even Banner.

"I'm a doctor. I might be able to help." Banner offered his services.

Her keen eyes looked at him, and he felt like his soul was being bared and his worth assessed.

"Sorcery is not your area of expertise. I do not think that you would be able to help. His wounds are not of the body. If you would like to help, you can bring Loki to me." She said gently, the ice in her eyes melting and leaving only warmth.

He nodded and moved back. Fury and the agents stood by the door, not moving. Clint and Natasha had already moved out, so just him, Stark, and Steve were left.

"You take that hallway, I'll take this one?" Steve offered, smiling weakly.

He moved off and only Stark and him were left. Stark shrugged and set off down another hallway. That left one hallway left for Banner, which he ventured down. He entered every room, calling out for Loki. He even checked the calm room and Loki's room again. Loki was nowhere to be found. Banner searched faster now, and when he checked in the lab, Pepper rose to her feet curiously.

"What happened?" She asked, clicking towards him.

"Thanos attacked and Thor attacked him. Thor's in a coma and Loki got depressed. Loki called his mom to break the spell keeping Thor in the coma, and now Loki's missing. Something feels off, somehow." Banner said quickly.

"Is Tony okay?" She asked, taking it all in stride.

"Unless he got into trouble since I last saw him, yes." Banner said impatiently, wanting to keep searching.

"I'll come with you." Pepper said determinedly.

"Fine. Just keep up." Banner turned to go, Pepper following behind him.

Banner grew more and more frantic as no one on the comms saw hide nor hair of him. He didn't know why he was so worried, maybe because Loki reminded him of himself, and so Banner didn't want him to take the darker fork in the road that Banner could have. Banner retraced his steps back to the living room. Pepper hissed through her teeth when she saw the damage. Steve, Stark, Clint, and Natasha were all there, an all wore similar expressions of varying amounts of concern and worry.

"So no one found him." Banner sighed wearily.

"If you didn't, then no." Steve sighed too.

"Someone has to tell Frigga. This could be serious." Banner tried to concentrate.

"She likes you the best. Besides, that woman scares me." Stark held his hands up.

Banner knocked on the door and opened it. Frigga motioned for all of them to come in, but the Shield agents stayed outside. Frigga was standing quietly at the head of Thor's bed. The air felt dead, lifeless.

"I have passed the point where it is dangerous to be in the same room. He has stabilized, but I am far from finished. Whoever cast this spell is extremely powerful and cunning. Where is my son?" Frigga started to look worried now.

"He isn't in the building, and I set up facial recognition software on every camera in the world. He's not on Earth." Stark said flatly, leaning on the wall with Pepper next to him.

"Where would he go?" Steve asked.

Banner stood up to support Frigga, who had grown pale and started to sway.

"He has gone to Thanos to battle him. He wishes to either inflict vengeance on Thanos or die honorably." Frigga spoke up.

"Hot damn. I do believe I'm rubbing off on him." Stark whistled.

**Poor Loki. BTW: The quote is from "The Hollow Men" By T.S Elliot, not me. Banner had to cheer up Loki. That would look quite awkward in the Avengers 2, don't you think? And Frigga is here. I quite like her. But Loki went to battle Thanos! I'm a cruel author, aren't I. And Atlantis did exist I guess, if Loki saw its fall! But I like the fact that Frigga scares Tony and love the Tony-bomb-portal parallelism to Loki. R&R!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Empty Meaning

_Loki P.O.V_

I walked away from Thor, going instinctively to a room where I felt safe, but I stopped just outside of it. Sinking down, I closed my eyes and reached telepathically out to my mother.

"_Mother."_

"_Loki! What has happened?"_

"_Thor is injured. I can't reverse his curse. Can you help him?"_

"_Of course. I will arrive there in a few minutes."_

"_Can you not tell Father? I don't want him to know."_

"_Yes. But what don't you want him to know?"_

"_I don't want him to know that I failed. Thor is injured because of me. I would have attacked on my own and kept him and the others safe, but he believed that I wasn't in control of my actions and attacked first. He was protecting me and trying to help me. I don't want to see Father's disappointment that I wasn't able to keep Thor from harm."_

"_Oh, Loki. He wouldn't think that. He would be worried for Thor and grateful that you survived. But I will do as you ask."_

"_Thank you, Mother."_

"_Stay there. I want you to be there to help me."_

"_You don't need help, Mother. You are the best and that is why I called you."_

"_Loki."_

"_Alright, Mother. I will stay until you arrive."_

"_Very well. Goodbye Loki."_

"_Goodbye Mother."_

I ended the contact and kept my eyes closed. This whole mess was my fault. If I hadn't been so angry, then I wouldn't have met Thanos. If I hadn't stayed here, then I wouldn't have found the scepter and led Thanos here. If I hadn't sworn a blood oath, then Thanos wouldn't have attacked. If I hadn't gone along with Thanos and thought of another plan, then Thor wouldn't have been hurt. I couldn't take the pain anymore. I felt completely numb and completely empty, devoid of emotion. The world retreated until it was just me. Swirling and plummeting for eternity in my mind. I felt cold, yet unbearably hot at the same time. I had failed my family and friends. I let them think that I was betraying them, let Thor be injured, let Thanos live. I was so tired, my magic had been almost all sucked out of me. I felt Yggdrasil all around me, thrumming with life. But I didn't reach out to it to replenish my magic, didn't look at the vibrancy of life. I didn't care anymore. I had failed everyone. I hated myself. I let myself fall into the wolves in my mind and let them tear me apart. I felt nothing, just cold numbness.

I sensed a presence in front of me and fanned out my senses. Banner. He spoke to me, and I expressed my bitterness. He refused to let me give in. He goaded me into living, and it worked. I pondered his words as I strode away. He was right. A burning grew in my chest and chased away all of the cold. I recognized it when I breathed in. It was pure, undiluted fury. Fury at Thanos. He had hurt my brother and enslaved me. Finding a new meaning in my life, I reached for Yggdrasil and replenished my magic stores to full strength.

I gathered the black blood I had found on the ground in the living room in my fist. I began the incantation, and started a spell. During the spell, I ingested the blood at the exact right moment and bound Thanos's blood to myself in a blood oath. Thanos could control my mind, and now I could control his. I could sense where he was, as well as the anger he felt when he sensed the bond. Thrumming with life energy, I felt the air for the telltale ripple of magic that would sound when my mother arrived. I felt my mother's magic vibrate in the air. I said goodbye to my family in my mind, sending what I was doing and why in a message to my mother. A tear slipped down my face unnoticed. I raised a hand shakily and wiped it away, looking at it incredulously. I never cry. I was getting soft. I teleported myself to Thanos for the battle. The final battle, either for me, him, or the both of us.

**Short chapter, but necessary. Poor Loki! I would hate to be him. Actually, I wouldn't. I would love to be a Frost Giant/God hybrid who is brother to Thor and master of magic. Totally badass, right! But he did a blood oath on Thanos! Even I didn't see that coming. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I'm just mean that way.**


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Edge of Hatred

**Cruel, cruel author that I am, making you guys wait like that. Here's the fight scene you've all been waiting for! Drum roll please!**

I hurtled down the tunnel, ignoring the pangs of guilt and fear that tore at my heart. I had to either take my revenge on Thanos, or die myself. I preferred the latter, it would solve many problems. The tunnel cast me out onto the same planet as when I fell into the void. I had fallen to my hands and knees, but rose to my feet warily, ready for an attack. I could see no one; the wind howled and the stars were cold and distant. I cursed out loud. Thanos was not here anymore. I was about to open another portal to take me to wherever he was, when a black, crackling portal opened in front of me.

A black lightning strike flew out of the portal and hit my shoulder. I gritted my teeth as I absorbed the electricity into my magic. Thank goodness that I had grown up with Thor as a brother. Thanos leapt out of the portal, eyes crazed, hands curled into claws.

"I would have made you a king! I offered you everything you have ever wanted! And yet, you turned me aside. I will _destroy _you, raze you to the ground, and raise you back from the dead only to make you watch as I kill everyone you have ever said a word to in your life, then mercifully kill you before condemning you to burn in a thousand infernos for all eternity." He howled, trying to gouge my eyes out.

I held him at bay, then threw him away, my new strength coming in handy.

"Villainy 101. Don't ramble on and on about what you are going to do to your opponent. It just gives them time to come up with a plan of attack." I sneered at him.

A demented light entered his eyes, and I could see that he had finally snapped. Even though he was crazy, he was still a Titan and extremely powerful, and a leader of a vast army. A black, oozing fluid dripped from the corner of his mouth. He bellowed, and shot a blast of his dark magic at me. It hit me squarely, and my own magic shield was the only thing that kept me from being vaporized. The blast continued, and I raised an arm to bolster my shield. I could feel it weakening, though. The dark magic burst through, and hit me in the chest. I flew many yards back and laid still, feeling the madness that was Thanos break up from my subconscious. It filled me, hissing, snarling, tearing at me. It whispered, cajoled, tempted me far beyond words. I felt the hate and rage that I had suppressed rise up and threaten to overwhelm me. I was a tiny island in the middle of a dark, raging ocean. I could not hold on. There was nothing to hold on to. There was nothing to hold on to for. I felt myself slipping, tipping over the familiar edge.

I heard a noise, and weakly looked up at Thanos, who was looming over me, his hand reaching for my throat. I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I couldn't think. I couldn't feel. I could only hear a deafening silence created by my darkness. My last thought was, _"I'm sorry, Brother."_. Thanos took hold of my throat and lifted me up. My feet didn't even touch the ground.

"I promise you, that when I kill you in a few seconds, it will be _nothing _compared to the agony that awaits you. I look forward to torturing you for the rest of eternity." He sneered in my face.

I could only look at him blandly, all emotion lost to the dark storm inside. He chuckled darkly and started to increase the pressure on my throat. Thanos reversed his grip and bashed me on the ground. After the first few whacks, all pain faded away. He dropped me to the ground after creating a wide crater from my beating. He walked away, presuming that I was dead. I felt dead. Inside, I was no more than a spark. Outside, I felt nothing but fire, curling and licking at my nerves. My eyes had started to close, when I heard a crackling noise, which sounded suspiciously like those from a portal being opened.

I weakly looked to see an Asgardian army, led by my father, mother, brother, and the Avengers. The gleam from the armor was almost too much to bear. Thor was alive. He had come to save me. I felt the spark that was me flare up into a blaze. I staggered weakly to my feet, only to be swept away in a sea of friends and family.

"That was a foolish thing to do. You could have gotten yourself killed." My mother gently swatted my head before tucking away a strand of hair.

"What are you all doing here?" I rasped hoarsely.

"Your mother called me, out of her mind with worry. I restored Thor and rallied Asgard's forces. Your friends told me what transpired, and I transported them here with the Tesseract." Father spoke.

"Well then. It seems as if I am in your debt." I gave him a half-bow, wincing from the pain.

"Never in my debt. If any, I am in yours." Father nodded to me, pride in his eyes.

"Ready yourself, Brother. Thanos is not dead yet." Thor warned me, twirling Mjolnir in his hand.

"Had us worried there for a minute." Stark informed me.

"I so want to shoot you in the knee right now." Clint growled.

"Do you feel up to this?" Banner asked, readying himself to 'hulk up'.

"Lets go get this son of a bitch." Rogers ordered.

They started to attack Thanos, warriors on all sides, ready to strike.

"No!" I shouted.

"What? Don't you want to get him?" Clint asked confusedly.

"All of you should stay back until I have faced him again. If I am defeated, then and only then may you attack." I told them.

"What? No. We're coming with you. We're your friends. We help you." Stark snorted dismissively.

"Do not make me use my precious magic to hold you back. Any one of you could be murdered by him in my defense. I could not bear that if it happened. I am expendable, broken, and I cause problems anyway. Let me do this, for myself." I ordered, raising my hands menacingly.

They grumbled, but moved back reluctantly. I limped nearer to Thanos.

"I can still offer you Midgard. If you want power, I can give it to you. I can show you things you have only dreamed of. I can lay the universe at your feet. Serve me, and I can fill the rage and anger that you carry. Refuse me a second time, and the whole universe will know of your submission, your weakness. I know that it galls you, to be nothing more than a pet and I offer you unimaginable power. " He offered desperately.

He was not wrong. Some part of me did chafe at how easily I had been brought to heel. Some part of me hissed and burned at how housebroken, how domestic, how pathetic I had become. But that part of me was what caused me to drive away my family and become a lonely, desperate, angry creature, twisted beyond recognition. I was happier _now_, broken and full of sorrow, than I was when I gave in to that part of me. I had my family, friends, a home, and was doing my best to rectify my mistakes and move on. I had _love_, something that I had tried to forget and bury deep inside. But my nature, chaotic and sadistic, wanted to accept Thanos's offer. It could not be satisfied by harmless mischief and contentedness, it wanted blood, gore, fire, and chaos. To not give in to my darker part, I would have to change my nature and erase the decades of pain. I could not give in. Thanos was weak because he had given in. I wanted to be happy and to be free of my suffering. Driven by these ideas, and the presence of those I hold dear, I fought back my darkness.

"You are right. I can feel yours and my darkness bubbling up in me, urging me to accept. It wants to inflict pain and suffering. It is my nature to do so. I cannot deny it." I said slowly.

Thanos grinned in triumph. He held out a hand to me, which I ignored coldly.

"Brother! Do not give in! You are better than this! I cannot lose my brother again! Do not leave me!" Thor shouted, trying desperately to save me from myself.

"But at the same time, I cannot accept. I am Loki, Son of None. Loki the Abandoned. Loki the Broken. Loki the Empty. I am a husk, a shell, a ghost of my former self, and yet I am more powerful than ever. I defy you! I defy myself!" I shouted.

I raised my hands and started to cast a spell. Wind whipped around me and created a vortex. Bright light shone from me, and Thanos covered his eyes. I was drawing the most I have ever done from Yggdrasil. I silently voiced my intent to the world tree, and it radiated joy and peace, helping me to craft the spell. I could see it, for the first time. An ephemeral tree appeared in the sky, filling up the whole horizon. The roots extended down to me and every other living creature. I could see the mysteries of life, and the pure, simple, joy that life was. Knowledge filled me, pure and radiant, and filled me with the power I needed to do the spell.

"I am sorry, Brother. But this had to be done." I said remorsefully to Thor, who looked at me with shock and determination in his eyes.

"I am no longer Loki of Asgard. I am Loki of Midgard." I proclaimed, spreading my hands to Yggdrasil.

A tendril snaked down from Yggdrasil, a root, and touched my outstretched palm. It felt apologetic and tender, and I mentally nudged it, letting it feel my conviction, my fear, my acceptance. The ground shook, rumbling filled the air, and a white shockwave burst forth from my being and consumed everything. I felt at peace as I let the whiteness consume my being, and looked down at Thanos. He was frozen in a soundless snarl, twisted and reaching. _He_ was the pathetic one. I felt my anger lift, and my soul shine pure once again. I was spinning again, not down, but up. I couldn't hear anything, just a deafening silence.

**Quite possibly the most awesome fight scene I've ever written! I made Loki have the ability to draw from Yggdrasil. And the title came into play in this chapter. Finally! And Loki and Odin made up somewhat! But sorry for the cliffhanger. JK! R&R. I'm dying of neglect and taking my characters with me. :(**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: Dawn

"_Who am I? Where am I? What is this place?" _I thought.

Everything was white. The ceiling, walls, and bed were all white. People were shouting over me, rushing me down a hallway. I thought that they looked vaguely familiar. I was lying on a moving bed. I tried to lift my hand, to question the people, anything, but I was so weak, so tired. All I wanted to do was sleep. My eyes drifted closed, but a hand shook me roughly. The hand belonged to a concerned looking man who shouted something at someone else. He was wearing a blue uniform and had a curious round shield slung over his back. I vaguely thought that he was a friend. My eyes closed again, and no amount of shaking could get me to open them.

I woke up suddenly, coughing and retching. Looking around, I noticed that I was in a small white room. I was lying on a thin bed with a thin sheet over me. Machines attached by wires beeped incessantly beside me. The bed inclined behind me so that I was mostly sitting upright. A door to the right led out somewhere. I started to get out of bed, but a man walked through the door.

"Whoa! I wouldn't do that if I were you. You really gave us a scare, you know." The man rushed up to me and shoved me back into the bed.

"Unhand me! Who are you? What is this realm? Vanaheim? Svartalfheim?" I shouted, jerking my arm from the man's grasp.

"Ha, ha, very funny, Loki. Your brother will be happy to see that you've woken up. " He said, looking over the machines connected to me.

"Where am I? What is this place? Who am I?" I asked him, desperate for answers.

He looked confused, and was about to speak when a large, blond man in a red cape and armor barged into the room.

"Banner? Where is he? Oh, there you are. Don't ever do that to me again! I almost lost my brother. Mother and Father are out of their minds with worry." The newcomer bear-hugged me tightly.

He looked vaguely familiar, and a memory surfaced, before fading away. An image of a gray-haired woman with love in her eyes rose at the thought of 'Mother'.

"Who are you? I have been asking him where I am, but he did not respond to my inquiries. Can you tell me what this place is, who you are, and who I am?" I asked him, desperate to get through to someone.

He frowned. "Loki. Cannot you remember Banner and your brother? Perhaps you hit your head harder than we thought when you fought Thanos."

The name Thanos brought a shiver of fear to my spine, even though I didn't know who he was. More people entered in the door; an older man and woman, a younger red-haired woman, and three other men. One of the men was the blue-uniformed one from earlier. They all looked familiar, and I frowned, trying to remember.

"Loki. You are all right." The older woman sighed and rushed to my side.

"Who are all you people?" I shouted, quite irritated now.

"Calm down, Loki." She said soothingly, but I had none of it.

"My name is not Loki! I do not know who I am! I do not know where I am! I do not know any of you!" I shouted.

"He is under a spell. It is based in that pendant, and he himself is the origin." The older man spoke up quietly.

I glanced down at my chest, on top of a ruined and tattered green and gold tunic, a pendant hung around my neck on a silver necklace. The pendant was of an ash tree, silver and gold, and seeming to move in the light. A voice floated up from my subconscious. _"The remains of my blood oath." _I reached up a hand and touched it. It hummed throatily and shimmered from the contact. It dissolved into specks of light that gently swirled up and past the ceiling. I jerked and threw my hair back, white covering my vision. I twitched and bucked while memories poured back into my skull. A light touch on my mind comforted me, Yggdrasil. It soothed all of the pain, and gave me back my memories, the only things left in me from my past. My past identity didn't sit quite well with me. It felt wrong. I wasn't that Loki. I was Loki of Midgard, not Loki of Asgard. I was free of his pain, suffering, grief, and sorrow. I could still remember what I had done, but I was not the perpetrator, as I was not the person in the memories. My eyes snapped open, and I looked around the room full of people that he-_I_ loved.

"Mother." I said, reaching up to touch her cheek.

She nodded, smiling at me, and I wiped away her tears.

"Are you all right, Loki?" My brother asked me.

"I do believe that I will be, Brother." I grinned at him.

He beamed back and bear-hugged me again.

"Good to have you back, Loki." Rogers said, relieved.

"It is good to be back, and not lying in a heap somewhere on a godforsaken planet." I said.

"I can't call you Reindeer Games anymore. You've earned it." Stark smirked at me, and I responded in kind.

"I still hate you. But you're a good guy. Don't think that I'll save your ass again, though." Clint warned me, grumbling.

"I would rather take an arrow to the knee, than put you in a situation that would make you do that." I smirked innocently.

He scratched his cheek meaningfully with the tip of an arrow.

"Son." My father spoke quietly.

"Father." I said evenly, just as quietly.

"I ... I-." He started, then cut himself off.

"Oh, for goodness' sake. You love each other and are a family. Make up and get over it already." Banner said angrily, glaring at the two of us.

"Thank you for your assistance. Without it, I ... I would not be alive now." I said, not looking at my father.

"It was the least I could do, and the most you would let me do." Father said.

Mother slapped him upside the head and glared at him and me pointedly.

"I ... I missed you, Son. I am sorry for everything that I have done to you." He said brokenly.

"I have missed you as well, Father. But you need not be sorry. Your actions were against another person. I am not who I once was. I have been remade. The spell I cast changed me. I have none of my former rage and pain. Yggdrasil has given me a new start. I am still your son, but I am more." I told him.

Eyebrows raised throughout the room.

"Wait you mean that ... Never mind. I don't want to know." Stark mumbled.

"Oh, Brother." Thor and my mother embraced me.

I laughed. "Do not grieve for me. I am at peace with my decision and so was he. It was the only way to break both of the blood oaths. I am happy. All of my previous darkness has been relieved, and I am no longer broken. My psyche has been relieved. I am still the same person, but a veil has been cast over my memories and I no longer associate the emotions I used to with the memories. I have a new chance at life, and can grow and change so as to never be like that again."

"I will make you new memories. With a better brother. With more friends. I will not let you become what you did before." Thor said determinedly.

"There is no need. I can still remember my past, but it does not affect me. It would be useful to have a family, though. Hmmm. I really _have _gotten soft." I mused.

Stark, Rogers, Banner, Barton, and Natasha left, leaving only my family.

"Are you sure you are all right?" My mother asked me, pressing a hand to my forehead and peering into my eyes.

"I am. I will grow, and change, and learn, and I will be greater than before. Yggdrasil has embedded itself within me. It has changed me into something new. It is imbuing me with life magic, which is why I am so content now. But I will not be all that I was. I will be greater." I smiled again, one of pure joy and peacefulness, one at harmony with life.

"We will be close, if you need us. We will be nearby, watching and helping you always. Come. We must return. Goodbye, Son." My father said, motioning to my mother.

She got up, tears in her eyes, and kissed my cheek.

"Goodbye, Loki. We love you." She whispered in my ear, then patted my cheek and joined my father.

They shimmered and disappeared, going back to Asgard. Only my brother was left. He sat in a chair beside my bed, scrubbing his face wearily.

"Get some rest." I told him.

"I do not need it. I would rather stay by you than go away. Not so soon after almost losing you." He said gruffly.

"You already have lost me. Somewhat at least." I said, though not unkindly.

He looked at me in shock, almost like a kicked puppy.

"Go. I will be fine. I would like to rest, but cannot as long as you are here." I told him.

He reluctantly moved towards the door, glancing back at me before leaving. I sighed and let my head fall back. I had omitted one tiny detail. I felt in my mind for Thanos, and could feel that he was still alive. I could feel his emotions faintly; rage, fury, anger, madness, even a hint of fear. I felt the emotions stir a little, but I shoved them away. They had no place with me now. I wondered at the things that could make a Titan fearful. I let the connection fade, and saw the mark of Yggdrasil behind my eyelids. It would burn within me for as long as I lived. It had chosen me, claimed me, and would be with me forever. I was changed, imbued with its life magic. I could not test my new limits here, but felt my conscious extend with no limits. It felt like an ocean, lapping gently at the shores of my mind.

I opened my eyes, erasing the image of Yggdrasil. My eyes fell on Mjolnir. Thor had left it on his chair. I opened my hand, and Mjolnir flew into it. Mjolnir thrummed happily, sounding like a purring cat. I smiled down on her. She _was _a cat. She had never liked me because she felt my inner darkness. Now that I was pure, she liked me. I set Mjolnir down on Thor's chair, and smirked up at the ceiling.

**Loki lost his memory! And he erased himself! Even I didn't see that coming! Go Loki and Clint humor! Go Doctor B! He made Loki and Odin forgive each other! Aww! And Loki can wield Mjolnir now! Don't worry, he's not going to do anything with it. And a question. What is he now? He said that Yggdrasil changed him. I wonder if he has any **_**special **_**powers now. Hmmm. I'll have to think about that ... **


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

_Darcy P.O.V (Sort of)_

"Darcy?" Jane asked anxiously.

"Yep." Darcy responded, not looking up from her IPod.

"We have to go. Now." Jane said tensely.

"But I just unpacked from the last move." Darcy whined.

"Now. Eric too." Jane insisted.

"But, Jane, I-." Eric was drawn into the conversation reluctantly.

"No buts. That was Shield." Jane said.

Darcy and Eric wasted no more time arguing or dragging their feet. Within half an hour, they were in the car and on their way.

"Remind me again why we're trekking out all the way out here." Darcy said, leaning her head against the cool glass of Jane's car.

"Shield told us to go to Stark, so that's what we're doing." Jane said reasonably, even though she was sweating from the heat and hours of driving.

"Oh, yeah." Darcy mumbled, closing her eyes.

Eric was sleeping, fully stretched out in the back. Jane was driving, and Ian ... wasn't here. There was no one to talk to, and since she loved to talk, Darcy was _not_ a happy camper. She sighed and closed her eyes. It was hot, and sticky, and her clothes stuck to herself and her seat. Why did Shield want them to go to Stark? It's not that she didn't trust the faceless, secretive organization that seemed to run her life nowadays, but oh yeah, she didn't. What had gotten her in this mess anyway? Oh, yeah, that's right. A god had shown up on Jane's front porch. And now she was hightailing it all over New Mexico looking for _Jane's _boyfriend. Shield funded her research, and pretty much dictated her life. It wasn't so bad, but it was insulting. Now they wanted them to uproot and go to Stark Tower. In _New York_. Which was very, very, _very _far away from New Mexico.

"Tree. Tree. Tree. Tree. Tree." Darcy started saying, trying to alleviate the boredom.

"Can you stop that?" Jane asked irritably.

"Sure. Are we there yet?"

"No."

"How much farther?"

"A few hours."

"Are there any more snacks in the cooler?"

"No. You ate them hours ago."

"Are there any sandwiches left?"

"No. You also ate those earlier."

"Are we there yet?"

Darcy continued to ask Jane annoying questions, and Jane's fingers continued to turn whiter on the steering wheel. After a while, Jane didn't even answer Darcy's questions. Looking around for something to do, she settled on her IPod, and ran through her whole playlist three times before New York came into sight.

"Ooh. Shiny." She grinned at Jane.

Jane navigated through the busy streets, honking her horn impressively, and weaving in and out of traffic. Darcy was surprised that it was that busy at eight in the afternoon. She pulled up in front of a _really _tall building and parked in front. Darcy hopped out, and craned her neck to see the top. She almost fell backwards and had to be stabilized by a sleepy and pant-less Eric. She grabbed her bags from the trunk, and started to struggle up the steps. People bustled around her, and someone knocked into her from behind, almost causing her to fall over and lose her grip on her suitcase. When she finally got to the top of the stairs, she gaped in astonishment. The inside was gorgeous, white and cosmopolitan. People behind desks gave out information, and escalators led up to a much higher second floor. People in suits and carrying briefcases minded their own businesses.

"Darcy Lewis, Jane Foster, Eric Selvig? Come with me." A tuxedoed man stepped forward.

"Who are you?" Jane asked suspiciously.

"I'm Happy. Mr. Stark's Chief of Security." He said.

"Cool. I'm happy too. What's your real name?" Darcy asked.

"Umm. Happy." He looked tired.

"Oh. Hi." Darcy blushed a little.

"This way, please. Mr. Stark has been expecting you." Happy gestured to a private elevator.

The four of them squeezed in with their bags awkwardly. Darcy squeezed in between Jane and Happy. Through the glass elevator, Darcy could see the ground fall away. There was no weird elevator music though, so that was a plus. The elevator dinged at floor three hundred, and they got out, except for Happy. Jane, Darcy, and Eric wandered around in a circular living room. A booming laugh pealed in the air, and Darcy turned around to see a familiar blond, muscly guy walk in with a dark-haired, smaller guy next to him.

"Thor?" Jane asked.

"Jane!" Thor broke into a large smile, and ran to Jane, catching her in an embrace.

"Hey. I see you're still muscly and everything." Darcy said once Jane and Thor ended their hug.

"Jane, meet my brother, Loki. Loki, be nice." He sent a warning glance to his brother.

"You're ..." Jane gasped.

"Yes. You may have heard of me." The man called Loki smirked a little.

Jane slapped him across the face. "That's for New York."

Loki smirked and looked at Thor. "I like her. You have my blessings."

Darcy had barely heard the conversation. She was to absorbed in ogling Loki. He was _hot_. Black hair, flashing emerald green eyes, lean angular features, tall, long slender fingers, he was smoking. The green and gold Asgardian tunic totally went with his pale skin and black hair. He actually wasn't that small. He was muscular like a cheetah, all lean muscles, unlike a bear like Thor. His eyes captured her attention the most though. There was a sadness in his eyes, a gentleness, a wisdom, a wistfulness, like he had suffered great loss. But the depths bespoke of a deep humor, revealed by the spark that danced in each eye. There was an insatiable curiosity there as well, one that yearned to test the boundaries, quest for knowledge. They were old eyes, ones that had seem like they had seen the mysteries of the universe. And they were directed at _her_. An elegant eyebrow raised.

"Umm. Hi. Darcy Lewis. I'm Jane's intern. But I'm not an astrophysicist. I took political science. And I'm babbling." Aware that she was blushing furiously, she extended her hand for a handshake.

A cool hand enveloped hers and brought her hand up. Loki kissed her hand, barely brushing cool lips over her hand. His eyes never left hers, and she blushed even harder.

"Loki Odinson. I am Thor's brother. It is a pleasure to meet you." He smoothly introduced himself.

She was aware that her palms were sweaty, so she surreptitiously wiped them on her skirt when she thought that Loki wasn't watching. She glanced over at Eric, who was gaping at Loki and looking like he was about to bolt.

"What's up with you?" She asked him.

"Loki?" Eric whispered, bug-eyed.

"Eric. I know how you feel about him, but Loki has changed. He was not in control of himself when he attacked you. He has been punished and he truly had changed. Please, give him a chance. For me." Thor entreated Eric.

"You ... you ... you enslaved my mind. I almost destroyed the world because of you. I still hear you in my head. I have nightmares about you." Eric turned away and put a hand to his mouth, pacing the room.

"Wait. You're _that _Loki?" Darcy asked.

Damn it! How could this delicious guy almost wipe out her planet? He was entirely too good looking to do that. Oh well. Darcy always liked the bad boys.

"Please. Allow me to explain." Loki held out his hands in supplication.

"Fine. We hear your explanation and then we're out of here." Jane glared at Loki and Thor.

"I don't know. We could stay a _little _longer." Darcy mumbled.

**Darcy was a hard character to write. And she's quite annoying in the car. And she likes bad boys. And Ian dumped her. Sorry all Ian/Darcy fans, I personally don't hate him.**


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Salvation

_Loki P.O.V_

Once I had recovered enough from the battle, I limped around, probably annoying the Avengers. Thor and I learned how to be around each other, and we made slow and careful progress towards being brothers once again. Fury had relented and was no longer pursuing me, mainly because his Loki no longer existed. Stark had given up with asking me about Sleipnir. Clint became resigned to my presence, and even went so far as to give me a disastrous archery lesson. I helped Banner and Stark out in the labs and trained with everyone except Banner to improve my fighting. My mother and father dropped in periodically, at least every few days. I did most of the cooking around here. Pepper stopped by occasionally to talk. I was made an unofficial Avenger when I helped the Avengers turn back another attempt on world takeover. Everyone recognized my trademark armor, but no one really complained after we made a public appearance and I made a speech. I think that no one complained because I used too long of words and they were confused. I was at peace with myself, but never stopped making wisecracks and pranking people. But something seemed missing from my life. It settled like a hole inside of me.

I walked with Thor after a memorable prank including a pink bucket of paint, Barton's bow, Roger's shield, Mjolnir, and Stark's suit. I knew better than to antagonize Banner and Natasha, though. Thor was still laughing about it when we walked into the living room. There was a pile of luggage near the elevator door, and three figures milled about in the middle of the room.

"Thor!" One of them exclaimed and ran towards him.

"Jane!" He boomed happily and swept her into an embrace.

So, this was his mortal. She was pretty, with chocolate doe eyes, and shoulder length caramel hair. She was shorter, not really remarkable except for the light of curiosity in her eyes. Thor introduced us.

"Yes. You may have heard of me." I smirked at her.

She stomped up and slapped me, eyes bright from fury. "That's for New York."

"I like her. You have my blessings." I smirked at Thor, actually meaning it; she had fire.

Thor and Lady Jane moved off, and I was enraptured by the second figure. She was short, even shorter than Lady Jane. She had long black hair, the color of night, and dark brown eyes. Her sharp features only enhanced her intelligence. She was curvy, and had full lips. She was beautiful. Her eyes were her most riveting feature. They were alight with curiosity, deep, shadowed pools of chocolate. There was a wicked humor in those depths, but also kindness, purity, loyalty, intelligence, and hurt. She had been injured recently, by someone close to her. My blood burned in my veins at the thought, a strange protective feeling.

"Umm. Hi. Darcy Lewis. I'm Jane's intern. But I'm not an astrophysicist. I took political science. And I'm babbling." She gave me her hand to shake.

I took it and pressed it to my lips, gauging her reaction. She flushed and wiped her palms on her skirts when she thought I wasn't looking.

"Loki Odinson. I am Thor's brother. It is a pleasure to meet you." I introduced myself.

"Loki?" A wavering voice asked.

Thor tried to plead with Eric, but he would have none of it.

"Wait. You're _that _Loki?" Darcy asked me.

I winced imperceptibly. "Please. Allow me to explain."

"Fine. We hear your explanation and then we're out of here." Lady Jane glared at Thor and I.

"I don't know. We could stay a _little _longer." I heard Darcy mumble.

I had to suppress a grin at that. Apparently, she was not fazed by my past.

"To begin with, I was so full of anger and rage that I would have destroyed my whole race and enslaved Asgard. I fell into a void off the Bifrost after my plan failed and landed on a planet where I was captured by a being called Thanos. He tortured me and enslaved my mind, just like Eric. I could not control my body or my mind, the only thing I have ever prized. I was forced to attack New York. When Banner beat Thanos out of my mind, I was still vengeful and angry with even less to live for. I was sentenced to a cell by my own father who cast a spell on me so that I would not die of starvation and malnutrition, separated my magic from me, while simultaneously speeding up time so that it was a millennia to me and a year in reality. In that cell, I was haunted with visions of Thanos and all of the people, I had wronged. I tortured myself, bereft of every reason to live. I called out for anyone to help me. I relived my memories and realized my wrongdoings. Hope that I could fix my mistakes was the only thing that kept me alive. I fell into a coma so that I could escape the living hell I found myself in. Thor and my mother rescued me and sent me here. I had gotten extremely sick from being separated from my magic, and slowly healed here. The Avengers have taken care of me, supplying me with a home while I healed. A few weeks ago, I started to feel my rage beginning to resurface with Thanos's influence. I accidentally found my old scepter and led Thanos here. He attacked and severely wounded Thor. After that, I teleported to Thanos and attacked him, leaving the Avengers behind and my mother taking care of Thor. Thanos overpowered me, and would have killed me if not for my family and the Avengers. Thanos had woken the darkness inside me, and the only way to break it was to completely change my identity. I cast a spell that erased Loki of Asgard and gave him a new beginning. So I stand before you as Loki of Midgard, and desperately beg for your forgiveness. My past self committed unspeakable wrongs against you. I know that I have no right to ask this of you, but I do this as a man who had nothing to live for. I would understand if you reject me and leave anyway." I had fallen to my knees sometime during the speech, and now wiped furiously at the tears on my face.

"As excuses go, it's not terrible." Lady Jane started to say.

"I-I understand. I know some of what you're going through. I ... I forgive you." Eric came up to me and hesitantly laid a hand on my shoulder.

I rose to my feet. "If anyone should be understanding, it should be me."

A sniffle broke through my train of thought. I looked at Darcy. She was holding a tissue to her damp eyes. She waved my concern away.

"I'm fine. Just stuffy." She said thickly.

"You should not be crying for me. I do not deserve your tears. Besides, all of that happened to a different person. That Loki does not exist anymore." I gently brushed away her tears with my thumb.

"I guess that we could stay for a while." Lady Jane said reluctantly.

Thor beamed and hugged her again. "Excellent! I will show you to your quarters."

Thor grabbed half of the bags from the pile, and I took the other half. They were heavy by mortal standards, but to me they weighed no more than a few books. Thor and Lady Jane moved ahead, chatting happily. That left Lady Darcy and I with Eric, who followed behind us.

"You don't need to carry my bags for me. They're not really that heavy. I mean, I toted them up here from Jane's car, up all those stairs, into the elevator. I seem to really ramble around you." She seemed to be slightly ill-at-ease.

"It is quite all right, Lady Darcy. I grew up on Asgard with Thor as a brother. I am used to loud noises and long conversations. As for the bags, I am more equipped to carry them. They are merely a trifle to me and it is the polite thing to do." I laughed to reassure her.

"Well. If you insist ..." She said reluctantly, her brow furrowing cutely.

"I do." I said firmly.

"Oh hey! I just remembered a question I wanted to ask you. When you said that you would have destroyed your race and enslaved Asgard, what was that about? I mean, you're Asgardian so how would you destroy your race and enslave them at the same time?" She gestured enthusiastically.

I grew quiet and didn't answer her inquiries.

"If you don't want to answer, you don't have to. If it's too personal or something." She said quietly.

"No. I am just reflecting on my memories. Did Thor ever tell you why I wanted to usurp the throne?" I asked.

"No, not really. Just that you tried to kill him and take over Asgard." She said nonchalantly.

"I had just found out that I was adopted. I was abandoned as an infant, and my father rescued me and gave me a home. He gave me love and a family, and how did I repay him. I thought that my entire life had been a lie. I had been raised to be a king, and I thought that he had just said that I would never be. My father told me that I was the son of Laufey, who is the ruler of Jotunheim and king of the Frost Giants. One of the monsters that parents tell their children about to scare them into obedience. I only ever wanted to make him proud of me and to be Thor's equal. I was furious and thought that I had been betrayed. I took control of the crown after my father fell into the Odinsleep and became a king for a brief span of time. I opened the Bifrost and directed the full force of it to Jotunheim, almost destroying the whole planet. I only stopped because Thor destroyed the Bifrost. I almost fell of the end of it, if not for the fact that Odin caught Thor, who caught the end of my spear, which I caught. I sought my father's love, but he rejected me and I let myself fall into the void. I had become a monster, both physically and mentally." I spun out my story to her.

By the end, she had tears in her eyes again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. But I don't think that you're a monster."

"I shouldn't be, but yet I still feel the weight of my past like a yoke on my heart. I know that _I _am not a monster, but my former self was before he changed it, and I cannot help but feel that I am as well." I confessed to her.

"You can't be all that bad as a Frost Giant. I mean, how bad can you possibly look?" She said, trying to cheer me up.

"These are your rooms." I stopped in front of her door, Lady Jane and Eric's farther down.

"Oh. Okay. Thanks. Can you set my bags there?" She gestured to the side of the doorway.

I set them down, and quickly retreated out of her room. I stood outside of her door, hands clasped behind my back.

"You aren't a monster." She said suddenly. "I can see it in your eyes."

"Thank you." I said.

"What do you really look like?" She asked curiously.

I looked into her eyes. She really did look curious and not at all fearful. That would change if I showed her who I truly was.

"I would not want to frighten you. Thor and Lady Jane would flay me alive." I turned away but she caught my shoulder with her hand.

"I am not some weak damsel in distress. I can handle myself. You won't scare me." She sounded offended.

I sighed and reluctantly lifted my glamor. I grew several feet taller, gained a few inches in bulk, my skin grew blue and whorled, my eyes turned blood red, and my teeth sharpened to look like shark's teeth. I couldn't meet her eyes, not wanting to see the revulsion. I was surprised, when a hand reached up and touched my cheek. She rubbed a swirl there, and gently turned my head to face her. Her eyes held no fear, as she stared into mine.

"Don't touch me for too long. You will get frostbite." Even my voice was different, growling and snarling.

She continued to lay her hand on my cheek, staring at something in my eyes. I was enraptured by her. I recast the illusion though, and returned to my Aesir form. Her hand was still on my cheek.

"By the way, blue and red are my favorite colors." She turned to go back into her room.

I stared after her. She rushed out suddenly and kissed my cheek. Then, blushing furiously, she returned to her rooms without another word. I stared after her in shock, only able to touch my cheek and remember her soft lips there. I shook myself and walked off. I ended up in Stark's living room, staring out of the wall of windows and out at the star-spangled sky and the city that I had tried to destroy. Something was different. The missing space I had felt was gone. Trying to figure out why, I reached out to Yggdrasil. It opened my mind and spoke to me of the sweetest mystery of life. I opened my eyes and laughed. That mortal, Darcy Lewis, was going to be a part of my future whether either one of us wanted it or not. But from the way she had kissed my cheek and looked at me, I thought that she wouldn't be too distressed by the idea.

I looked down at my hands, the hands of a former murderer. I let my illusion slip away and I looked down at my hands. The color blue was actually quite pretty. The blue blood underneath faintly raised darker blue veins. The swirls were captivating, and my eyes traced the beginning of one. The path led into another, which led to another. They were all connected. I chuckled. How fitting that the whorls on my skin were akin to the branches of Yggdrasil. Everything was connected and everything had a purpose in life, no matter how small.

I suddenly remembered my mother talking to me about how she met my father when I was young. They had met in the gardens, bumping into each other, both of them engrossed in their respective books. They had talked the day away until it rained, then ran for cover. Father had given her his coat. They fell in love that same day, and he had sent her lovely dreams. I laughed again, and moved my hands in a spell. Green mist rode from my cupped hands and moved silently in the air towards Darcy's chambers. It would give her magnificent dreams of Asgard, Yggdrasil, life, and happiness. I laughed again. I, the former Loki of Asgard, was pursuing a mortal by giving her sweet dreams. I looked out across New York, sleeping peacefully beneath me. I felt no urge of dominion, just the beauty of the magnificent view. I left the city to its slumber and retreated to my quarters, eagerly looking forward to the morning when I would see Darcy again. Perhaps I would ask her how she slept.

The End

**Yes, I did do some Loki/Darcy because of all the reviews saying I should. I have already started to work on a sequel, but if you have any ideas, then review! Did anyone notice how Loki's use of contractions/informal language got more and more as the story progressed? Maybe that symbolizes his redemption? And can I get an 'Aww' for the Loki/Eric bromance! Whew! I can't believe I'm done! I'm going to go and collapse now. Bye! See you all later! And special thanks to anyone who reviewed! :) **


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